Uploaded June 2025 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
Solar panels and other modern energy technologies can be really useful, but the belief that we can technologize our way to a bigger and better society powered by clean energy is tragically flawed. Asher, Rob, and Jason dig into the up-and-down story of the Ivanpah concentrated solar power plant, review the Harry Potteresque thinking behind complex, centralized power plants, and expose the truth of the energy transition. After they finish making fun of concentrated solar/golf course/outlet mall complexes in the desert, they discuss how to make real progress on energy and sustainability. Originally recorded on 6/5/25.
Warning: This podcast occasionally uses spicy language.
Sources/Links/Notes:
• Michael R. Blood, “11 years after a celebrated opening, massive solar plant faces a bleak future in the Mojave Desert (apnews.com/article/california-solar-energy-ivanpah-birds-tortoises-mojave-6d91c36a1ff608861d5620e715e1141c) ,” AP News, January 30, 2025.
• Laura Paddison, "This alien-like field of mirrors in the desert was once the future of solar energy. It’s closing after just 11 years (cnn.com/2025/02/13/climate/ivanpah-desert-solar-closing) ," CNN, February 13, 2025.
• Jean-Baptiste Fressoz, More and More and More: An All-Consuming History of Energy (penguin.co.uk/books/464145/more-and-more-and-more-by-fressoz-jean-baptiste/9780241718896) , January 1, 2024.
• Rachel Donald, “The ‘Energy Transition’ is a Pipe Dream | Jean-Baptiste Fressoz, (planetcritical.com/p/jean-baptiste-fressoz) ” Planet: Critical podcast, March 19, 2025.
• Drax Power Station (drax.com/about-us/our-sites-and-businesses/drax-power-station/)
• U.S. Department of Energy, Facts about Ivanpah (energy.gov/lpo/ivanpah)
• Energy Monitor report on the opening of Ivanpah (energymonitor.ai/projects/ivanpah-solar-electric-system-california)
• Louis Sahagun, "This Mojave Desert solar plant kills 6,000 birds a year. Here’s why that won’t change any time soon (latimes.com/local/california/la-me-solar-bird-deaths-20160831-snap-story.html) ," Los Angeles Times, September 2, 2016.
• Annual carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions (statista.com/statistics/276629/global-co2-emissions/) worldwide from 1940 to 2024
Resources for conservation and local solar power:
• Solar United Neighbors (solarunitedneighbors.org/)
• 2,000-Watt Society (2000-watt-society.org/)
• Peter Kalmus, Being the Change (peterkalmus.net/books/) , New Society Publishers, July 10, 2017.
• Kris De Decker, "How to Build a Low-Tech Solar Panel (resilience.org/stories/2021-10-21/how-to-build-a-low-tech-solar-panel/) ," Resilience, October 21, 2021.
• Coop Power (https://www.cooppower.coop/)
• Seeds for the Sol (seedsforthesol.org/)
• The Institute for Local Self-Resilience has a community solar program (ilsr.org/energy/community-solar/) .
Related episode(s) of Crazy Town:
• Episode 45 (resilience.org/stories/2021-06-10/feedback-loops-and-climate-catastrophe-or-the-story-of-the-baseball-bloodbath-episode-45-of-crazy-town/) on feedback loops
• Episode 60 (resilience.org/stories/2022-06-16/chillin-and-killin-how-air-conditioning-has-altered-human-behavior-and-the-environment-episode-60-of-crazy-town/) on air conditioning
Support the show (postcarbon.org/supportcrazytown/)
Solar panels and other modern energy technologies can be really useful, but the belief that we can technologize our way to a bigger and better society powered by clean energy is tragically flawed. Asher, Rob, and Jason dig into the up-and-down story of the Ivanpah concentrated solar power plant, review the Harry Potteresque thinking behind complex, centralized power plants, and expose the truth of the energy transition. After they finish making fun of concentrated solar/golf course/outlet mall complexes in the desert, they discuss how to make real progress on energy and sustainability. Originally recorded on 6/5/25.
Warning: This podcast occasionally uses spicy language.
Sources/Links/Notes:
• Michael R. Blood, “11 years after a celebrated opening, massive solar plant faces a bleak future in the Mojave Desert (apnews.com/article/california-solar-energy-ivanpah-birds-tortoises-mojave-6d91c36a1ff608861d5620e715e1141c) ,” AP News, January 30, 2025.
• Laura Paddison, "This alien-like field of mirrors in the desert was once the future of solar energy. It’s closing after just 11 years (cnn.com/2025/02/13/climate/ivanpah-desert-solar-closing) ," CNN, February 13, 2025.
• Jean-Baptiste Fressoz, More and More and More: An All-Consuming History of Energy (penguin.co.uk/books/464145/more-and-more-and-more-by-fressoz-jean-baptiste/9780241718896) , January 1, 2024.
• Rachel Donald, “The ‘Energy Transition’ is a Pipe Dream | Jean-Baptiste Fressoz, (planetcritical.com/p/jean-baptiste-fressoz) ” Planet: Critical podcast, March 19, 2025.
• Drax Power Station (drax.com/about-us/our-sites-and-businesses/drax-power-station/)
• U.S. Department of Energy, Facts about Ivanpah (energy.gov/lpo/ivanpah)
• Energy Monitor report on the opening of Ivanpah (energymonitor.ai/projects/ivanpah-solar-electric-system-california)
• Louis Sahagun, "This Mojave Desert solar plant kills 6,000 birds a year. Here’s why that won’t change any time soon (latimes.com/local/california/la-me-solar-bird-deaths-20160831-snap-story.html) ," Los Angeles Times, September 2, 2016.
• Annual carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions (statista.com/statistics/276629/global-co2-emissions/) worldwide from 1940 to 2024
Resources for conservation and local solar power:
• Solar United Neighbors (solarunitedneighbors.org/)
• 2,000-Watt Society (2000-watt-society.org/)
• Peter Kalmus, Being the Change (peterkalmus.net/books/) , New Society Publishers, July 10, 2017.
• Kris De Decker, "How to Build a Low-Tech Solar Panel (resilience.org/stories/2021-10-21/how-to-build-a-low-tech-solar-panel/) ," Resilience, October 21, 2021.
• Coop Power (https://www.cooppower.coop/)
• Seeds for the Sol (seedsforthesol.org/)
• The Institute for Local Self-Resilience has a community solar program (ilsr.org/energy/community-solar/) .
Related episode(s) of Crazy Town:
• Episode 45 (resilience.org/stories/2021-06-10/feedback-loops-and-climate-catastrophe-or-the-story-of-the-baseball-bloodbath-episode-45-of-crazy-town/) on feedback loops
• Episode 60 (resilience.org/stories/2022-06-16/chillin-and-killin-how-air-conditioning-has-altered-human-behavior-and-the-environment-episode-60-of-crazy-town/) on air conditioning
Support the show (postcarbon.org/supportcrazytown/)
