Why were no parabolic trough power plants built in the United States between 1990 and 2005?
A number of factors contributed to the lack of any new parabolic trough power plants construction during this period. Because of declining federal and state incentives combined with declining energy prices, parabolic trough power plants were no longer economically competitive with conventional power plants. These factors combined with a general move to deregulation of the power industry, which focused on least-cost power options, precluded any new large solar plant developments.