Ashalim: Israel's Desert Solar Tower and Its Controversies

Rising from the Negev Desert like a science-fiction monument, Israel’s Ashalim solar tower was once hailed as a triumph of renewable ambition—and soon after derided as an expensive mistake. Built with cutting-edge solar-thermal technology, the plant dazzled the world even as falling prices for photovoltaic panels made it look rapidly outdated. In this episode, we explore how the tower reshaped life in the nearby village of Ashalim, inspiring pride and unease in equal measure, and why concerns over cost, wildlife, and glare have fueled a broader national debate. The story uses this gleaming structure to ask a larger question facing the energy transition: how should societies balance technological boldness with practicality on the road to a low-carbon future?https://www.nytimes.com/2022/10/09/world/middleeast/israel-solar-tower.html