Concentrating solar tower

Research for renewable energy did indeed dry up in the 1970s and 1980s, but many of the technologies that got at least a foothold decades ago are finally spreading. A good example is concentrating solar power, which creates heat with mirrors to produce steam and generate electricity in a standard turbine. There are a number of concentrating solar power plants built or being built around the world, including a few planned in the U.S. Pictured here is a demo-scale concentrating solar plant from BrightSource Energy, using a method derived from concentrating solar pioneer Luz Energy in Israel decades ago.