http://anz.theoildrum.com/node/3791 http://anz.theoildrum.com/node/3791 The existing plants prove that concentrated solar power is practical, but costs must de

http://anz.theoildrum.com/node/3791 http://anz.theoildrum.com/node/3791 The existing plants prove that concentrated solar power is practical, but costs must decrease. Electricity from solar thermal plants currently costs between US$0.13 per kilowatt hour (kWh) and US$0.17 per kWh, depending on the location of the plant and the amount of sunshine it receives. Conventional power plants generate electricity for between US$0.05 and US$0.15 per kilowatt hour (not including any carbon taxes or cap and trade related costs) but in most places it's below US$0.10 (wind power generally costs around US$0.08 per kWh). I wonder how long it's going to take solar-thermal to gain traction. The economics seem a lot better than just plain photo-voltaic solar that's been pushed for years. And certain types of solar-thermal have an energy reservoir, so you can have peak load + base load capabilities, unlike wind power.