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Regulators allow Obama-era solar plant to kill thousands of birds annually, investigation finds
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SAN BERNARDINO, Calif. – Regulators are allowing an Obama-era «clean energy» solar plant to continue operating even as its reflected solar beams kill thousands of birds each year, with no fines or enforcement action taken since it opened, a Fox News Digital investigation has found.
The Ivanpah Solar Power Plant, a sprawling facility built with taxpayer support in the Mojave Desert near the California–Nevada border, remains in compliance under existing regulations, even as birds are burned, injured or killed after flying through the beams which reflect sunlight onto the plant’s three central towers.
Regulators were aware of those risks before approving the project as part of a broader push to expand renewable energy. Today, it remains in compliance, meaning the wildlife deaths documented at the site fall within limits set under its environmental approvals. That framework allows the plant to continue operating even as thousands of birds are killed each year.
OBAMA-ERA ‘CLEAN ENERGY’ SOLAR POWER PLANT STILL USES FOSSIL FUELS – AND KILLS THOUSANDS OF BIRDS ANNUALLY
The Ivanpah Solar Power Facility near the California–Nevada border in the Mojave Desert. The solar thermal plant has faced scrutiny over environmental impacts, including bird deaths linked to its concentrated solar energy system. (Jeff Gritchen/MediaNews Group/Orange County Register via Getty Images)
«Staff is not aware of any formal enforcement actions or fines issued by either the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service or the California Department of Fish and Wildlife related to avian or wildlife mortality at the Ivanpah Solar Electric Generating System,» the California Energy Commission, which oversees large energy projects in the state, told Fox News Digital.
The commission also said it knows of no special regulatory exemptions for renewable energy projects related to wildlife impacts. Instead, the project was approved as long as monitoring and mitigation requirements would be carried out, meaning some level of wildlife mortality was anticipated.
The futuristic-looking facility, known for its three large towers that glow brightly when powered on, was approved during the Obama-era push to rapidly expand renewable energy following the 2008 financial crisis — part of a broader effort to cut emissions and reduce reliance on fossil fuels in the name of climate change.
At the time, it was hailed as the future of «clean energy» technology, and the federal government provided a $539 million grant for its construction, along with a separate $1.6 billion loan.
But its technology quickly became outdated by conventional solar panels that absorb sunlight directly and convert it into electricity, making Ivanpah’s energy more expensive to produce. The plant also relies on natural gas to start up each day – producing tens of thousands of metric tons of carbon dioxide annually.
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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)
Researchers say birds are drawn to the bright towers, 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,» and a video released by the U.S. Geological Survey shows a bird trailing smoke as its feathers burn. Songbirds, doves, warblers and other migratory species have been found dead at the plant.
What regulators knew before approval
Environmental reviews examined by Fox News Digital show that regulators were aware before construction that the project could kill birds, either by being burned by the plant’s concentrated sunlight or colliding with the tens of thousands of mirrors that surround the three towers like lakes. They also raised concerns about damage to the 4,000-acre physical desert habitat it was going to occupy, as well as to protected species that roam the barren terrain, such as the endangered desert tortoise, dozens of which went unaccounted for during early operations.
The project’s Final Environmental Impact Statement warned that climate efforts could come «at the expense of reducing the native biodiversity.»
Even with those warnings, regulators approved the project, allowing it to move forward on the basis that ongoing monitoring and mitigation requirements would be carried out, rather than requiring those risks to be resolved.
A 2016 congressional review raised similar concerns, finding no clear evidence that federal agencies had pursued penalties for bird deaths at Ivanpah — a pattern that appears to have continued.
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)
No fines, no enforcement
The plant is regulated under a system that tracks wildlife deaths but does not automatically trigger fines or shutdowns.
Monitoring reports show hundreds of birds are found dead at the site each year, with some estimates putting the total in the thousands.
Responsibility for enforcement is shared across multiple agencies, including the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife and the Bureau of Land Management, each of which has authority over different aspects of the project, the CEC said.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service said it reviews monitoring data and provides technical input but did not indicate enforcement action tied to bird deaths at the site.
NRG Energy, which operates the facility, said in a previous statement it remains committed to providing renewable electricity but declined to provide additional comment regarding environmental issues.
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The Ivanpah Solar Power Facility operates in the Mojave Desert near the California–Nevada border, using thousands of mirrors to focus sunlight onto a central tower to generate electricity. (MediaNews Group/Orange County Register via Getty Images)
A system that allows harm
Instead of being treated like a typical environmental violation, the project is governed through a permitting system that emphasizes monitoring and mitigation rather than penalties.
In practice, that means harm can be documented without triggering enforcement action even though federal authorities have pursued penalties for bird deaths in other industries.
Under federal law, violations involving protected migratory birds can carry fines of up to $15,000 per bird.
Such prosecutions of industry have become rare in the United States, however. In 2017, the Department of the Interior reinterpreted the Migratory Bird Treaty Act to apply only to intentional killings — not «incidental» deaths caused by industrial activity such as oil pits, power lines or wind turbines. Federal courts, including the Fifth Circuit, have since reinforced that narrower reading, limiting the government’s ability to penalize companies for equipment-related bird deaths.
But even efforts to reduce harm — including deterrents, lighting changes and operational adjustments — have not eliminated the problem at Ivanpah, with monitoring reports continuing to document annual wildlife deaths.
More than a decade later, Ivanpah shows what that system looks like in practice: a project approved as clean energy that kills wildlife, relies on fossil fuels and continues operating without penalties.
WATCH: Experts weigh in on future of $2.2B Obama-era Ivanpah solar plant as regulators keep it open
This is part 3 of a series on California’s troubled Ivanpah Solar Power Plant in the Mojave Desert
Part 1 – Obama-backed $2.2B green energy ‘boondoggle’ leaves taxpayers on the hook
Part 2 – Obama-era ‘clean energy’ solar power plant still uses fossil fuels – and kills thousands of birds annually
energy, environment regulation, california, climate change environment, birds, barack obama, energy in america, controversies environment, regulation
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Venezuela y los desafíos de su reconstrucción: costos en alza, viviendas temporales y aprender a convivir con la amenaza de un nuevo terremoto
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«Los verdaderos responsables son las malas construcciones, la corrupción y la incompetencia del Estado»
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A bipartisan push to make Daylight Saving Time permanent is heading for a chamber-wide vote after clearing a key House hurdle.
The House Rules Committee on Monday teed up a floor vote on the Sunshine Protection Act, which would allow states to enact Daylight Saving Time year-round — with an option to opt out. The committee approved the rule in a 6-4 vote.
The measure has the support of many coastal lawmakers and President Donald Trump, who has repeatedly urged Congress to make Daylight Saving Time permanent and end the twice-a-year ritual of changing clocks — a practice currently observed by every state except Hawaii and most of Arizona.
Proponents argue that resetting clocks has negative health impacts, while permanent Daylight Saving Time would boost outdoor recreation, tourism and economic activity, among other benefits.
Rep. Vern Buchanan, a Republican from Florida, attends a House Ways and Means Committee hearing in Washington, D.C., on April 22, 2026. (Graeme Sloan/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
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Most Americans already set their clocks forward one hour each spring to preserve more evening daylight before «falling back» one hour in November.
«Americans are overwhelmingly supportive of this policy and want to end the practice of ‘springing forward’ and ‘falling back.’ Locking the clock all year long would have positive impacts on sleep schedules, energy conservation, motor vehicle safety, and our economy,» Chairman Brett Guthrie, R-Ky., said in an opening statement Monday.
«In practice, this change would mean more time for people to exercise outside, visit family, attend concerts and sporting events, attract customers to their retail businesses, and more.»
«Floridians and Americans across the country are tired of the biannual time change, and the evidence is clear that permanent daylight saving time can improve public health, reduce traffic accidents, lower crime and encourage more outdoor activity,» Rep. Vern Buchanan, R-Fla., who authored the measure, previously said in a May news release.
«Ending the clock change is a commonsense reform that will improve everyday life for millions of Americans,» he added.
The legislation’s momentum comes after the House Energy and Commerce Committee overwhelmingly passed the measure 48-1 in May.
«It’s time that people can stop worrying about the ‘Clock,’ not to mention all of the work and money that is spent on this ridiculous, twice-yearly production,» Trump wrote following the Sunshine Protection Act’s advancement out of committee. «It will also be a very nice WIN for the Republican Party. Take it! We are going with the far more popular alternative, Saving Daylight, which gives you a longer, brighter Day — And who can be against that — This is an easy one!»
President Donald Trump speaks to the media as he arrives at the U.S. Capitol on June 24, 2026, in Washington, D.C. (Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)
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Roughly 20 states have already passed legislation that would make Daylight Saving Time permanent if Congress were to authorize the practice. Alabama, South Carolina, Oregon, Maine and Florida are among those places.
But opponents, including several medical organizations, argue that permanent standard time — which provides more sunlight in the morning — would be the healthier option because it would more closely align with the body’s natural circadian rhythms.
Rep. Mary Gay Scanlon, D-Pa., proposed amending the bill with language from her co-sponsored Sunshine for Our Kids Act, which would make standard time permanent nationwide. The amendment was quickly rejected.
Scanlon argued that permanent daylight saving time would pose significant health and safety risks by leaving more Americans — particularly children — in darkness during morning hours. She also pointed to the nation’s brief experiment with year-round daylight saving time in 1974, which Congress abandoned after widespread public backlash.
Rep. Nanette Barragán, D-Calif., was also the lone lawmaker to oppose the legislation during the Energy and Commerce Committee markup in May, citing concerns that year-round daylight saving time could negatively affect children’s health and sleep schedules.
Some conservative lawmakers have also argued that GOP leadership should be focused on what they describe as more pressing legislative issues, including legislation codifying Trump’s border security executive orders and the stalled SAVE America Act.
«Republicans are majoring in the minors — fiddling with the clocks while the country burns,» Rep. Keith Self, R-Texas, a member of the conservative House Freedom Caucus, wrote Monday.
The House has already passed versions of the SAVE America Act multiple times, but the measure has struggled to overcome the Senate’s legislative filibuster.
This illustration photo shows a clock in the background of a smartphone showing the time after Daylight Saving Time was implemented in Los Angeles. (Chris Delmas/Getty Images)
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The Senate unanimously passed a version of the Sunshine Protection Act in 2022, but it died in the House amid opposition, including from lawmakers who voiced concerns about darker morning hours in parts of the country during the winter.
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Trump informó que EEUU investiga la posible presencia de drones iraníes en Cuba: “Si los tienen, nos encargaremos de ello en breve”
El presidente de Estados Unidos, Donald Trump, informó el lunes por la noche que su Gobierno investiga una posible presencia de drones iraníes en Cuba y advirtió que Washington actuará si confirma esa información. “Si los tienen, y es muy posible que los tengan, nos encargaremos de ello. Marco está justo en la habitación de al lado. Y si los tienen, nos encargaremos de ello en breve”, afirmó desde el Despacho Oval.
Trump respondió a preguntas de la prensa sobre una eventual presencia de drones iraníes en la isla y sostuvo que su administración no permitirá esa situación. Además, planteó la posibilidad de que Cuba también almacene armamento iraní.
«Podría ser» que la isla caribeña estuviera «almacenando algunos» misiles iraníes, señaló el mandatario. “Lo estamos investigando ahora mismo”, expresó, antes de remarcar que su Gobierno no va a «permitir que eso ocurra“.
Las declaraciones del presidente llegaron poco después de que el secretario de Estado, Marco Rubio, anunciara que Washington continuará con el uso de «todas las herramientas a su disposición» para «impulsar» reformas «políticas y económicas» en Cuba y poner fin a «décadas de represión e incompetencia económica de su régimen comunista“.
En la víspera, el embajador de Estados Unidos ante las Naciones Unidas, Mike Waltz, sostuvo que Cuba alberga bases «tanto rusas como chinas» y atribuyó a Moscú y Beijing la presencia de «puestos de inteligencia, puestos de recolección de señales y oficiales militares en Cuba“.
Las declaraciones se producen en un contexto de creciente presión de Washington sobre La Habana. Al embargo vigente desde hace más de seis décadas, Estados Unidos sumó desde comienzos de año un bloqueo energético que provocó, en distintas ocasiones, la interrupción total del suministro eléctrico en la isla.
El pasado viernes, las autoridades cubanas confirmaron un nuevo apagón eléctrico de alcance nacional, el cuarto registrado en lo que va del año.
El régimen cubano incorporó más de 300 drones militares de origen ruso e iraní desde 2023, según fuentes de inteligencia citadas por Axios. El informe sostiene que las Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias (FAR) analizan un eventual uso de estos sistemas contra objetivos militares estadounidenses, como la Base Naval de Guantánamo o instalaciones en Cayo Hueso, en medio de la creciente tensión con Estados Unidos.
Las autoridades del régimen, encabezadas por Miguel Díaz-Canel, invocaron el derecho a la legítima defensa, aunque no negaron la posesión de estos sistemas. El canciller Bruno Rodríguez advirtió que habrá un «baño de sangre» si Washington ejecuta una acción militar contra la isla.
De acuerdo con el portal El Toque, el interés de las FAR por los drones antecede a 2023 y responde a una política de cooperación militar con Irán, Rusia, Bielorrusia, Argelia, Venezuela y Vietnam. El medio también señala que existen indicios de que la industria militar del régimen desarrolló capacidad para ensamblar y modificar estos equipos.
Uno de los primeros antecedentes documentados data de 2012, cuando el entonces director de la empresa bielorrusa Minsk Aircraft Overhaul Plant, Yevgeny Vaitsekhovich, informó sobre un proyecto conjunto con la dictadura cubana para ensamblar drones Sterkh-BM. En 2024, el ministro de las FAR, Álvaro López Miera, visitó instalaciones militares en Bielorrusia donde inspeccionó modelos Irkut, Orlan, Supercam, Formula, VR-12, Moskit y Busel.
Según Axios, no existe evidencia pública sobre los modelos exactos incorporados por las FAR, aunque las fuentes consultadas apuntan a sistemas similares a los utilizados en la guerra de Ucrania, entre ellos los iraníes Shahed-136, Arash-2 y Mohajer-6, además del ruso Geran-2.
El Shahed-136 posee un alcance estimado de entre 2.000 y 2.500 kilómetros y puede transportar una ojiva de 40 a 50 kilogramos. El Arash-2 ofrece una autonomía de hasta 30 horas, mientras que el Mohajer-6 incorpora sensores electroópticos e infrarrojos y puede portar municiones guiadas de precisión.
El informe también indica que gran parte de los drones observados en Cuba corresponde a modelos comerciales chinos adaptados para tareas de vigilancia y reconocimiento. Además, las instituciones educativas de las FAR incorporaron formación específica en Vehículos Aéreos No Tripulados (VANT) y la Empresa Militar Industrial Yuri Gagarin presentó drones con capacidad para lanzar pequeñas granadas de mortero durante el ejercicio Meteoro 2025, lo que evidencia capacidad de ensamblaje, modificación y mantenimiento dentro de la isla.
El análisis publicado por Axios sostiene que «presentar drones armados como ‘medios defensivos’ supone una confusión conceptual sobre los principios básicos de la doctrina militar o una deliberada distorsión del lenguaje para consumo político interno“. Además, señala que la incorporación de estos sistemas respondió a un proceso de planificación de varios años y no a una reacción inmediata frente a las tensiones recientes con Estados Unidos.
(Con información de Europa Press)
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