At the time, it was the world's largest solar plant, its nearly 4,000 acres covered in a blinding array of high-tech mirrors, arranged in supplication around three 450-foot towers. It nearly doubled the amount of solar thermal energy then produced in the United States, according to the DOE.

Originally, the project had an estimated operational life of 50 years, according to the final environmental impact statement. Its two buyers, Southern California Edison and Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E), had purchase agreements through 2039.

Now, Edison has pulled out of its contract, and Ivanpah is set to close. The facility's concentrating solar power (CSP) technology will likely be converted to a photovoltaic (PV) installation, a technology that experts say has outpaced CSP in terms of cost, efficiency, and versatility.

"To save money for our customers, Southern California Edison has agreed to stop buying electricity from the Ivanpah Solar Power Plant," Jeff Monford, a spokesperson for the utility, told The Epoch Times. The decision, he said, has been an "ongoing negotiation among a few parties, including the owners of the plant and the Department of Energy."

For-profit utilities have reason to fear customer revolt over soaring electricity prices. California has the second-highest in the country, after Hawaii, and is approving more rate hikes to compensate for fire safety, aging infrastructure, and demands on the grid.

PG&E announced in January that it would opt for a buyout of its contract. Both Edison and PG&E have cited cost savings and the superiority of PVs as reasons for pulling out of the project.

"Ivanpah was a landmark in renewable energy, but concentrated solar power can't match today's photovoltaic systems," California Assemblyman Tom Lackey, a Republican who represents the area, told The Epoch Times.

"Unfortunately, technology does age out, and while it's disappointing to see the facility close, I'm committed to supporting the workers and hopeful that plans to upgrade the site to photovoltaic solar come to fruition so it remains a clean energy asset for our region."