Solar without the Panels

MIT Technology Review by Peter Fairley | Feb. 29, 2008 (News Report)

Utilities are using the sun's heat to boil water for steam turbines.

This month, in the latest in a string of recent deals, Spanish solar-plant developer Abengoa Solar and Phoenix-based utility Arizona Public Service announced a 280-megawatt solar thermal project in Arizona. By contrast, the world's largest installations of photovoltaics generate only 20 megawatts of power. Full Story »

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by Shawn McConnell - Oct. 1, 2008

The article doesn't address important issues such as: How much carbon and resources are required in producing the essential parts of such a plant? What kind of environmental damage may such a plant cause, if any at all? The reader is to assume this type of plant is an improvement just because the word "solar" is invoked.