It’s been nine months since Ivanpah celebrated its grand opening in February, 2014. Since that time, the world’s largest concentrating solar power plant has continued to receive accolades from around the globe, including being named Plant of the Year by Power Magazine, the first time a renewable energy project has ever received that honor in in more than 40 years.

But because of its high profile nature — Ivanpah is the largest of its kind in the world and the largest project to benefit from DOE’s successful Loan Guarantee Program — it remains the subject of close scrutiny by the press and other stakeholders who may not necessarily agree with the policies that helped make it possible. We get that. 

Sometimes, however, certain stories are so far off the mark, that we turn to this blog to set the record straight and speak truth to power (as the saying goes), by relying on facts, science and law. 

The latest attack on clean energy comes courtesy of Fox News claiming (disingenuously) that the Ivanpah project is now seeking a grant to pay off its loan. What Fox conveniently leaves out of their story is the fact that this so called “grant” is not a grant in the traditional sense at all. Rather, it is the 30 percent Investment Tax Credit (ITC) — authorized by Congress — for which the project is eligible now that it is operating. 

What’s more, under the terms of DOE’s loan guarantee, Ivanpah is required by the Federal Government to use the tax credit proceeds (what Fox calls a “grant”) to immediately pay down the outstanding loan balance, which is in the best interests of protecting taxpayers. 

So to put things in context, here are five things some media can’t seem to remember about Ivanpah.