One limiting factor here is the amount of water, which in the southern Arizona could be an issue. Ferris reports that the tower would reportedly be able to recycle up to 75 or 80% of the water it uses.

At least $1 billion, the project will be costly. Plus, only a scale model has been built, and it’s only four feet tall, though the company claims that its design can grow the additional 2,244 feet without substantial changes to the design.

The project has received the green light from federal agencies, though city approval is still in the works and there’s still an environmental impact report that needs to be completed. Plenty of hurdles remain, but if the tower works at sufficiently high efficiency, it could be a predictable source of renewable energy.

Photo Credit: zootalures / Wikimedia Commons

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