The new organisation is dedicated to educating US regulators, utilities and grid operators about the unique benefits of concentrating solar power (CSP) and of thermal energy storage as a foundational resource for a reliable, low-carbon electricity mix and a driver of economic growth.
The alliance’s mission is to promote the increased acceptance, adoption and implementation of concentrating solar power plants in the US and will also promote policies to encourage and advance CSP technology deployment.
CSP technologies use mirrors to concentrate the thermal energy of the sun to drive a conventional steam turbine.
There are different designs for steam-producing CSP technology that incorporate storage which include power towers, parabolic troughs and linear reflectors, each based on proven engineering principles.
Currently, about 500 MW of CSP plants are operating in the US and more than 1,300MW of CSP plants under construction worldwide, with many gigawatts more under development.
