https://www.gem.wiki/Ivanpah_Solar_Electric_Generating_Syste...

https://hn.algolia.com/?dateRange=all&page=0&prefix=false&qu...

(solar PV prices declined far faster than expected; combined with concentrated solar thermal operational challenges, it led to the plant being uneconomical; could potentially be re-powered as solar PV)

I never knew until today that solar plants require fossil fuels.

At least until batteries got cheap too.

Now it's super niche.

Also, some quick calculations based on the average yearly generation and estimated PPA suggests that it generated electricity worth roughly the same amount as the big scary number in the headline.

Presumably the PPA was set up pay for the construction plus profit over some timescale. Paying it off after 10 years isn't great but it's not bad either.