Between the start of construction (2010) and opening of the plant (2014) solar PV dropped in price more than 60% whereas I do not thing the price of mirrors has changed much.
Seems like this is just a case of bad timing - the peak year for installing concentrated solar was 2013-2014 and it has been slowing down year on year since then. Solar PV is still on an upswing in terms of new yearly installed capacity.
It is more than a little disappointing that a solar plant in the desert cannot survive. While birds, who were killed at the plant by the thousands each year are rejoicing, those of us who seek a cleaner form of energy have been dealt a significant setback. Can industrial scale solar be made to work barring some new more efficient method to turn light into electricity?
It's not efficiency, it's capex. Ivanpah is solar thermal which was soundly defeated by photovoltaics and, now, batteries. Ivanpah's technology was inherently more expensive than PV, and its remaining advantage, ability to store thermal energy to extend generation into the evening, has been rendered less valuable by cheaper batteries.