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Obama-era ‘clean energy’ solar power plant still uses fossil fuels – and kills thousands of birds annually

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This is part 2 of a series on California’s troubled Ivanpah Solar Power Plant in the Mojave Desert.
SAN BERNARDINO, Calif. – More than a decade after it opened, an Obama-era taxpayer-backed «clean energy» solar plant in California still burns fossil fuels and kills thousands of birds each year.
The Ivanpah Solar Power Plant, a massive facility in the Mojave Desert near the California-Nevada border, uses hundreds of thousands of mirrors to reflect sunlight into three towering structures, generating intense heat to produce electricity.
But those same beams have proven deadly.
A composite image shows a tower at the Ivanpah Solar Power Plant alongside a bird found with burn injuries linked to concentrated solar heat exposure, according to federal wildlife research. (Jeff Gritchen/MediaNews Group/Orange County Register via Getty Images; U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service)
OBAMA-BACKED $2.2B GREEN ENERGY ‘BOONDOGGLE’ LEAVES TAXPAYERS ON THE HOOK
Federal researchers and monitoring reports have documented thousands of birds being killed after flying through the plant’s concentrated solar rays — a phenomenon known as «solar flux.»
The plant also relies on natural gas to start up each day – producing tens of thousands of metric tons of carbon dioxide annually – an amount comparable to the energy use of thousands of homes, raising questions about how «clean» the facility really is.
Standing near the site, its footprint is unmistakable. The towers glow intensely as beams of reflected sunlight converge at their tops, creating an almost surreal scene against the desert landscape.
Once promoted as a symbol of the future of renewable energy, Ivanpah is now drawing scrutiny over whether its environmental costs outweigh its benefits, with critics saying the project raises broader concerns about how «clean energy» is evaluated.
«If oil and gas spills a drop, literally a drop, the entire operation is shut down. And to an extent that’s a good thing,» Daniel Turner, founder of the energy advocacy group Power The Future, told Fox News Digital.
«But you label something ‘green’ or ‘clean’ and all regulations are waived.»
TRUMP’S UN SPEECH REVEALS INCONVENIENT TRUTH OF MASSIVE GREEN ENERGY COSTS

An aerial view shows the Ivanpah Solar Power Plant near the California-Nevada border, where mirrors reflect sunlight onto towers to generate electricity. (Joe Sohm/Visions of America/Universal Images Group)
Despite the documented wildlife impacts, the plant continues to operate — with California regulators declining efforts to shut it down and instead arguing it is still needed to support the power grid. Officials under both the Trump and Biden administrations have supported shutting the facility down, citing the high cost of its electricity compared to newer alternatives.
The project was built with more than $1.6 billion in federally backed loans and additional taxpayer-funded incentives, leaving hundreds of millions of dollars still outstanding — even as environmental concerns continue to mount. In addition, the U.S. Department of the Treasury provided a $539 million grant to help build the facility, covering about 30% of construction costs.
Bird deaths and wildlife impacts
The facility spans more than 4,000 acres of the Mojave Desert and uses roughly 350,000 mirrors — mounted on more than 170,000 heliostats — to reflect sunlight toward three central towers.
That same concentrated light has had unintended consequences.
Researchers say insects are drawn to the bright towers, which in turn attract birds. Some then fly through the plant’s concentrated solar beams — known as solar flux — where they can be injured or killed.
Researchers dubbed the phenomenon «streamers,» with video released by the U.S. Geological Survey showing birds trailing smoke as their feathers burn.

A peregrine falcon wing shows severe feather damage consistent with exposure to concentrated solar heat, according to a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service study of the Ivanpah solar plant. (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service)

Burned feathers from a peregrine falcon show damage patterns linked to concentrated solar beams at the Ivanpah solar plant, according to federal research. (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service)
A 2016 federal study by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service found evidence of birds suffering feather damage and trauma consistent with exposure to intense heat near the towers.
Monitoring reports filed with California regulators and reviewed by Fox News Digital continue to document bird and bat deaths at the site, with hundreds of birds found dead each year.
Environmental reviews conducted before construction anticipated some level of wildlife impact, including bird deaths linked to mirror collisions and concentrated solar beams, according to California Energy Commission documents.
«Bird mortality is still a significant concern at concentrated solar plants like Ivanpah,» Lewis Grove, director of wind and energy policy at the American Bird Conservancy, told Fox News Digital.
«Public estimates are that thousands of birds are killed every year by this single facility,» he said, adding that the trade-off is «generally not worth it for birds.»
CALIFORNIA’S POLITICIANS DIDN’T START THE FIRES. THEY MADE THEM WORSE
He noted that newer photovoltaic solar systems have significantly lower impacts on wildlife, underscoring how the industry has shifted away from the technology used at Ivanpah.
«The Ivanpah plant was a financial boondoggle and environmental disaster,» Julia Dowell of the Sierra Club said in a previous Fox News Digital report. She added the project «killed thousands of birds and tortoises» and showed that «not all renewable technologies are created equal.»
Habitat impact
Beyond bird deaths, the project has reshaped the surrounding desert.
The site was once considered a high-quality habitat, according to federal environmental reviews conducted before construction. Development cleared large areas of land, displacing tortoises and other wildlife and raised concerns about long-term survival.
Early monitoring reports showed dozens of protected desert tortoises went unaccounted for during initial operations — including animals held in controlled enclosures — according to California Energy Commission documents reviewed by Fox News Digital.
Critics have also questioned whether efforts to relocate tortoises away from the site have been effective.
Burning fossil fuels
The plant’s environmental footprint extends beyond wildlife.
Ivanpah relies on natural gas to start up operations each day — a requirement that has raised questions about how «clean» the facility really is.
While the original design assumed limited gas use, actual operations often require several hours of gas-burning to bring the system online. The plant also lacks large-scale energy storage, meaning it cannot generate electricity at night — a limitation newer solar projects increasingly address.

A bird feather shows curling and charring linked to concentrated solar heat exposure at the Ivanpah facility, according to a federal wildlife study. (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service)
Project documents show the facility was originally approved to use significantly less natural gas than it ultimately required, with operators later seeking approval to increase usage by roughly 60% to maintain reliable operations, according to California Energy Commission filings reviewed by Fox News Digital.
The plant has burned natural gas to support daily startup and operations, producing roughly 25,000 to 30,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide annually — roughly equivalent to the emissions from several thousand U.S. homes.
That level of emissions is enough to place the plant under California’s cap-and-trade program, which requires major polluters to pay for their emissions — effectively placing the «solar» facility alongside traditional fossil fuel plants when it comes to emissions.
While Ivanpah produces fewer emissions than a conventional natural gas plant, its carbon footprint remains significantly higher than that of modern solar farms, which generate electricity without burning fossil fuels.
NRG Energy, which operates the facility, said in a previous statement that it remains committed to providing renewable electricity but declined to provide additional comment regarding environmental issues.
The California Energy Commission told Fox News Digital the project remains in compliance with its environmental requirements, with wildlife impacts addressed through ongoing monitoring and coordination with federal and state agencies.

The Ivanpah Solar Power Plant in California’s Mojave Desert uses mirrors to focus sunlight onto three towers to generate electricity. (Jeff Gritchen/MediaNews Group/Orange County Register/Getty Images)
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More than a decade after it opened, Ivanpah now stands as a symbol of the trade-offs in the push for clean energy — where efforts to reduce emissions can also bring real-world environmental costs.
For now, the plant continues to operate because regulators say the power it provides is still needed — even as questions remain about its cost, environmental impact and whether it still makes sense to keep it running.
Those questions extend beyond the plant itself, raising broader concerns about how projects like Ivanpah were approved — an issue Fox News Digital will examine in the next part of this series.
energy, nevada, carbon emissions, california, birds, green economy, barack obama
INTERNACIONAL
German officials want to know why Berlin attack suspect was free despite alleged ISIS support

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In the wake of the recent violent attack in Berlin near a pride festival, German officials are left to contend with the questions surrounding why suspect Abdul Ballout was free to perpetrate the assault despite his recent conviction related to supporting ISIS.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz on Monday wished to know how the violent assault could have been prevented.
«We must do everything to protect people in Germany as best possible from such criminals, from dangerous people who for whatever reason can’t be taken into custody,» Merz said, according to The Associated Press.
German Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt told public broadcaster ZDF during an interview that in light of the 21-year=old suspect’s conviction and record of backing the Islamic State, it did not make sense that the man was roaming free.
«You can assume that it certainly would have made sense to put this person in custody,» he noted, according to the report.
BERLIN PRIDE ATTACK SUSPECT KILLED IN POLICE CONFRONTATION: AP
A suspect with alleged ties to Germany’s Islamist scene is on the run after authorities say he plowed a van into a crowd near Berlin’s Pride festival before attacking others with a machete in what officials believe was an Islamic terror attack that left one person dead and at least 29 others injured. (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber; Berlin Police)
Berlin Mayor Kai Wegner told regional broadcaster RBB in an interview that while he did not wish to question the independence of the court system, when it comes to the matter of this attack, «words fail me.»
The suspect in the recent Berlin attack went to Lebanon last year with the goal of traveling to Syria to join ISIS, according to an English translation of a joint release from the Berlin Public Prosecutor’s Office and the Berlin Court of Appeal, which noted that the man «was born and raised in Berlin and is a German citizen.»
The attack on Saturday night left one dead and 29 injured, according to the AP, which reported that 21-year-old Abdul Ballout is suspected of plowing a van into people near a pride festival prior to apparently slashing people with a machete in what authorities think was a terror attack.
The suspect was killed by authorities on Sunday.
«According to current information, the 21-year-old allegedly attacked the special forces officers with a bladed weapon, whereupon they used their firearms,» an English translation of a July 26 joint press release from the Berlin Police and public prosecutor’s office noted. «The man suffered fatal injuries and died at the scene. The investigation is ongoing.»
ISIS POISED TO EXPLOIT HISTORIC US IRAQ EXIT, TERROR GROUP ‘ACTIVELY WAITING IN THE GAPS,’ EXPERT WARNS

Police officers stand near a vehicle crashed into a tree after driving into a crowd near Berlin’s annual Pride event, in Berlin, Germany, Sunday, July 26, 2026. (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber)
Earlier this year, a Berlin juvenile court convicted Ballout of preparing a serious act of violence endangering the state, and publishing propaganda supporting ISIS.
A news release from the Berlin Public Prosecutor’s Office and Berlin Court of Appeal said the court sentenced Ballout to one year and 10 months in youth custody before prosecutors appealed.
Officials have stated that the man was granted a suspended sentence, but the news release states: «The decision regarding the suspension of this sentence on probation was deferred for six months pursuant to Section 57 in conjunction with Section 61 Paragraph 1 of the Juvenile Courts Act. The court also imposed various conditions on Abdul B., including placing him under the supervision of a probation officer. The court lifted the existing arrest warrant, as pretrial detention primarily serves to secure the criminal proceedings and does not constitute a prejudicial punishment.»
FBI ARRESTS 3 MEN WHO ALLEGEDLY PLEDGED ALLEGIANCE TO ISIS, FUNDED DRONE ATTACKS TARGETING US TROOPS OVERSEAS

Emergency personnel and police gather in Berlin, early Sunday, July 26, 2026, following the cancellation of Christopher Street Day festivities. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi)
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The news release noted that the case was not over, given that the appeals process had yet to play out.
«This conviction is not yet legally binding, as the Berlin Public Prosecutor’s Office has filed an appeal. The Public Prosecutor’s Office had requested a longer, non-probationary sentence for a juvenile and the continuation of the arrest warrant,» the release noted.
world, terrorism, germany, crime world, isis
INTERNACIONAL
San Salvador Centro prevé 1.2 millones de visitantes en Sívarland durante las Fiestas Agostinas de 2026

Más de 1.2 millones de visitantes se esperan en Sívarland durante las Fiestas Agostinas 2026, según anunció el alcalde de San Salvador Centro, Mario Durán, en conferencia de prensa.
Las celebraciones se llevarán a cabo del 1 al 6 de agosto en San Salvador, con el parque de diversiones como centro de las actividades culturales, artísticas y recreativas de la temporada. La organización prevé una afluencia récord de salvadoreños y turistas, así como estrictas medidas de orden, seguridad y ambiente familiar para todos los asistentes.
Como cada año, el evento rinde homenaje al Divino Salvador del Mundo y suma programación en distintos puntos de la ciudad, con la participación de artistas nacionales e internacionales, innovaciones logísticas y la habilitación de piscinas municipales gratuitas hasta el 9 de agosto. La información completa sobre actividades, mapas y horarios está disponible en sivarland.com.
Sívarland 2026: parque de diversiones y expectativa de récord
La apertura de Sívarland, ubicada en el complejo del Estadio Cuscatlán, está programada para el sábado 1 de agosto a las 3:00 pm, después del tradicional desfile del correo.
El alcalde de San Salvador Centro, Mario Durán, afirmó: “Nos estamos preparando para superar los 1.2 millones de visitantes y demostrar nuevamente que Sívarland es el parque de diversiones más grande y moderno de El Salvador y que las Fiestas Agostinas son los festejos más esperados del país”.
El parque ofrecerá juegos mecánicos, espectáculos musicales, presentaciones de DJ y una zona exclusiva para Uber. Las actividades se extenderán desde el mediodía hasta la medianoche, del 2 al 6 de agosto. El año pasado, la asistencia superó el millón de personas y se busca mantener esa cifra.

En el recinto se ofrecerán comidas típicas, artesanías y una variedad de puestos de venta, bajo controles de higiene implementados en conjunto con el Ministerio de Salud y la alcaldía.
El 1 de agosto a las 5:00 am inicia la alborada al Divino Salvador del Mundo en la Plaza Salvador del Mundo, con un ensamble de 60 mariachis y la repartición de atol shuco. El desfile del correo se desarrollará a partir de las 9:00 am, avanzando por el Paseo General Escalón y la Alameda Roosevelt hasta llegar al Parque Cuscatlán.
Durante la tarde, Sívarland abrirá sus puertas con presentaciones musicales, espectáculos infantiles y la actuación de agrupaciones como Grupo Melao, Julissa Ventura y la Sonora Maya. Las actividades artísticas y recreativas continuarán todos los días con conciertos, mezclas de DJ, juegos y presentaciones para distintos públicos.

El domingo 2 de agosto, la tarde infantil contará con el show de Cocolito, un concierto de Los Redd y un cierre bailable a cargo de Marito Rivera y su Grupo Bravo. El lunes 3 de agosto, a las 9:00 am, iniciará el Desfile del Comercio desde la Plaza Salvador del Mundo. Por la tarde, Sívarland tendrá música electrónica y el concierto de La Sonora Dinamita.
El martes 4 de agosto, la programación continuará con la Orquesta Salzón y la Orquesta Platinum. El miércoles 5 de agosto se dedicará al entretenimiento infantil, sets de DJ en vivo y conciertos de Faro y su banda junto a La Auténtica Banda LL.
El jueves 6 de agosto, el cierre incluirá ambiente familiar, música electrónica, la presentación de Los Corsarios y el concierto de gala de la Orquesta de Los Hermanos Flores.
El Centro Histórico de San Salvador albergará eventos como el concierto de la Orquesta de San Salvador el sábado 1 de agosto en la Plaza Gerardo Barrios, a las 6:00 pm. El domingo 2 de agosto, el Mercado Hula Hula será sede del Gran Social de Salsa, con la presentación especial de Salsalvador All Stars, una clase magistral con la participación de más de 10 academias nacionales y amenización de DJs.
El lunes 3 de agosto, desde las 3:00 pm, las plazas principales tendrán la primera jornada del Festival Tradiciones, con juegos típicos (trompo, yoyo, capirucho y saltacuerdas), talleres de dibujo, pintura y elaboración de piscuchas, el taller de pintura Fernando Llort, presentaciones de la marimba de San Salvador, ballet folclórico de Casa Maya, la Banda del Bicentenario y un concierto de la Big Band de la Orquesta Sinfónica de San Salvador Centro.

El martes 4 de agosto se llevará a cabo el concurso SívarBand 2026. Las actividades iniciarán a la 1:00 pm con el desfile de las 16 bandas participantes, desde la Plaza Simón Bolívar, pasando por la calle Rubén Darío, hasta la Plaza Gerardo Barrios. La municipalidad entregará $17,000 en premios, distribuidos en ocho categorías y un reconocimiento especial.
El miércoles 5 de agosto, el Parque Cuscatlán tendrá la segunda jornada del Festival Tradiciones desde las 2:00 pm, con talleres creativos, juegos tradicionales y una variedad de platillos típicos preparados por emprendedores locales, además de presentaciones de la marimba de San Salvador, danza folclórica de Casa Maya, música andina, intervención de Los Historiantes de San Antonio Abad y muestras de talento cultural.
La Alcaldía de San Salvador Centro desplegará un operativo de seguridad, limpieza y atención de emergencias en todos los espacios de actividades. El Cuerpo de Agentes Metropolitanos (CAM) instalará una sala de monitoreo con 100 cámaras de videovigilancia conectadas al sistema Sívar Seguro. Mil agentes municipales, policías y efectivos militares estarán en patrullaje constante, y se habilitará el número 2204-6800 para denuncias.
Habrá una zona Uber exclusiva sobre la calle Los Viveros, que facilitará el acceso y la salida de los visitantes. Este modelo, implementado por segundo año consecutivo, fue destacado por la empresa Uber como pionero para eventos masivos en Centroamérica, el Caribe y la región andina.

En el ámbito de limpieza, cerca de 600 empleados de Desechos Sólidos trabajarán de forma permanente en todos los puntos de actividad. Más de 100 recipientes estarán distribuidos para los residuos. La campaña “Los buenos salvadoreños no ensucian” busca la colaboración ciudadana en el cuidado del espacio público.
El dispositivo incluye 500 puestos de venta, áreas de sanitarios, puestos de primeros auxilios con ambulancias y medidas de higiene supervisadas por el Ministerio de Salud.
Del 1 al 9 de agosto, la Alcaldía de San Salvador Centro habilitará los complejos municipales para que las familias puedan disfrutar de piscinas gratuitas en horario de 8:00 am a 4:00 pm. La medida contempla la apertura de todos los complejos municipales bajo administración de la alcaldía, permitiendo el ingreso sin costo a niños, jóvenes y adultos. El servicio estará disponible durante nueve días consecutivos, cubriendo tanto el periodo principal de las Fiestas Agostinas como los días inmediatamente posteriores.
corresponsal:Desde San Salvador, El Salvador
INTERNACIONAL
Trump demands Thune keep Senate in session until SAVE America Act passes

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President Donald Trump doesn’t want the Senate to leave town with his flagship election security measure still on the line.
It’s less than two weeks until the upper chamber makes a jailbreak from Washington, D.C., and the schedule is already jam-packed with key items, from blockbuster confirmations to a long-awaited sanctions package targeting Russia.
But only one legislative priority matters to Trump: the SAVE America Act. And despite the political reality in the Senate, the president wants the bill passed by any means necessary.
TRUMP’S SAVE AMERICA ACT STALLS AS MCCONNELL’S ABSENCE COMPLICATES SENATE PATH
Congressional Republicans, President Donald Trump and the GOP base want voter ID turned into law, but one barrier stands in the way: the political reality of the Senate. (Leon Neal/Getty Images; Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)
«John Thune should not allow the United States Senate to ‘leave town’ until it passes The Save America Act or, far better still, TERMINATES THE FILIBUSTER, where Republicans can then quickly pass everything they ever dreamed of, including a full and deep-throated SAVE AMERICA ACT, the Budget, and the ever looming Debt Ceiling disaster, 1929,» Trump declared on Truth Social.
«The Dumocrats will do it on day one and can’t believe how lucky they got with this Senate leadership,» he continued. «Remember, stupidity always brings LOSING & DEATH!»
GOP RIFT GROWS AS THUNE HITS BRAKES ON TRUMP’S ELECTION BILL TO AVERT SHUTDOWN
While Congress’ annual break during August is often viewed outside the Beltway as vacation time for lawmakers, during a midterm election year, it allows for crucial hours on the road for incumbents to have face time with voters and make their pitch to keep their seat.
Republicans are hungry to campaign and sell their agenda, particularly last year’s tax cut package, Trump’s «one big, beautiful bill,» but are facing headwinds from the war in Iran and affordability issues.
And there are three races on the 2026 map that are troubling for the Senate GOP in its quest to maintain its majority: Maine, Alaska and Ohio.
Still, Trump has warned that unless the Senate passes the SAVE America Act, they will suffer the consequences at the ballot box, and he has routinely called for the elimination of the filibuster for many of his priorities, but neither has the votes to happen in the upper chamber.
TRUMP’S PATIENCE ‘RUNNING OUT’ AS THUNE FIRES BACK OVER STALLED ELECTION SECURITY BILL

Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, spoke during a news conference about the SAVE America Act at the U.S. Capitol on March 19, 2026, in Washington, D.C. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
It comes as tensions between the White House and Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., are on the rise.
Last week, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt warned that Trump’s patience was «running out» with Thune over the legislation, which prompted the top Senate Republican to fire back that the White House should focus its energy on Democrats blocking the SAVE America Act and work the phones to get Republicans to a «yes» vote.
Trump is also not alone in his push for Thune to cancel the upcoming break.
Sens. Mike Lee, R-Utah, Rick Scott, R-Fla., and Ashley Moody, R-Fla., have all announced their intent online to object to Thune calling for recess toward the end of this work period.
«I hereby object to any effort to put the Senate into recess in August — at least until such time as the Senate has passed the SAVE America Act — and hereby request a roll call vote,» Lee said on X.
«Do not assume you have my consent,» he continued. «You do not.»
Typically, recess or state work periods are a consent exercise in the Senate, meaning that all lawmakers agree to skip town and head back to their states to do work on the ground. But a single senator can object on the Senate floor and force a vote to decide whether the upper chamber stays or goes.
Trump and the GOP trio’s demands come at an inflection point in the Senate.
Thune has prioritized averting a government shutdown and is encouraging ongoing negotiations between Republicans and Democrats to hammer out a deal before the break begins. He’s threatened to hold the House-passed budget resolution that would, among other things, set up a rough framework to pass the SAVE America Act through budget reconciliation.
All that comes after he and other Republicans have made clear the political reality that SAVE America Act, as written, does not have the votes to pass in the upper chamber, neither from Democrats nor the GOP.
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And whether the legislation, or a version of it, can survive the reconciliation process remains to be seen, given that, as written, the SAVE America Act is primarily policy and doesn’t have a budgetary impact — a key requirement of the party line process.
«It’s still likely to be a 60-vote exercise, even if it’s done with a budget resolution,» Thune told Fox News Digital. «Unless it’s done with, you know, structured to allow grants to states that’s incentive-based, and principally budgetary, not policy.»
politics, donald trump, john thune, senate elections, congress
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