Exploration Architecture liked the seawater greenhouse concept, but it just wasn't ambitious enough. So the firm came up with an even more spectacular proposal: a solar power plant operating in conjunction with a seawater greenhouse in the world's largest desert, which would provide clean energy while also irrigating a patch of the Sahara.

As they imagine it, the Sahara Forest Project would be situated in a low-lying coastal area where seawater could be easily piped in. The water would be used in seawater greenhouses and a concentrated solar power operation, in which mirrors focus sunlight onto water boilers to push steam-powered turbines. Distilled wastewater would used to irrigate the surrounding areas, creating lush, palm tree oases where barren desert used to be.