The New York Times reported earlier this week that the U.S. Department of Energy has offered BrightSource Energy a $1.37 billion loan to build a solar power plant in the Ivanpah Valley of southern California.  The loan, which is the largest of its kind, is a crucial part of the financing for the project, as banks are currently disinclined to fund such endeavors.  The proposed plant would generate 2,600 megawatts of electricity with solar thermal technology, which focuses the heat of the sun to turn water into steam.

The loan is not yet assured, as it must be approved by state and federal officials after environmental reviews.  A major concern is the location of the plant in the habitat of desert tortoises, something which environmental groups say would threaten the species and other local flora and fauna.  Groups such as the Sierra Club and Defenders of Wildlife are campaigning to change the location of the plant to an area that will not threaten any endemic species.