Google-backed plant in US generates electricity with nearly 350,000 mirrors

A windy stretch of the Mojave desert once roamed by tortoises and coyotes has been transformed by hundreds of thousands of mirrors into the largest solar power plant of its type in the world, a milestone for a industry that is testing the balance between wilderness conservation and the pursuit of green energy across the American west.

The Ivanpah Solar Electric Generating System, sprawling across roughly 13 square kilometres of federal land near the California-Nevada border, formally opened on Thursday after years of regulatory and legal tangles ranging from relocating protected tortoises to assessing the impact on Mojave milkweed and other plants.

"The Ivanpah project is a shining example of how America is becoming a world leader in solar energy," US Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz said in a statement after attending a dedication ceremony at the site.

"This project shows that building a clean-energy economy creates jobs, curbs greenhouse gas emissions and fosters American innovation."

The US$2.2 billion complex of three generating units, owned by NRG Energy, Google and BrightSource Energy, can produce nearly 400 megawatts - enough power for 140,000 homes. It began generating electricity last year.

Larger projects are on the way, but, for now, Ivanpah is being described as a marker for the America's solar industry.