Many years ago, I felt the technology war for generating power had been won by photovoltaics (PVs). I was right, but I might have missed a few words in this conclusion: “…the technology war for generating electric power… photovoltaics (PVs) plus battery energy storage (BESS).”
Although electrification is a major pillar in reducing the amount of GHG major industries emit, many still needs large amount of thermal energy (heat). Yes, you can generate heat with electricity, but this is generally inefficient, especially for high-temperature heat.
The current U.S. Department of Energy understands this. Thus, they have continued to plug away, reinventing concentrating solar power (CSP) and associated technologies. This paper will review their efforts, including a major CSP test facility that they just broke ground on in New Mexico.