What was once the largest solar power plant of its type in the world appears headed for closure just 11 years after opening.

A California power utility is seeking to end a contract early, leading to the closure of the world's largest solar power plant on the California-Nevada border.

Construction work has temporarily shuttered the John Wilkie Safety Roadside Rest Area along Interstate 40 in the Mojave Desert.

What was once the world's largest solar power plant of its type appears headed for closure just 11 years after opening, under pressure from cheaper green energy sources. Meanwhile, environmentalists continue to blame the Mojave Desert plant for killing thousands of birds and tortoises.