Given the low capital cost of the wind turbine upstream in the combined cycle plant, I wonder whether the design envelope lines up for the second stage to be the primary power recovery from a thermal solar system.

That seems like a strategy to reduce capital cost to be recovered from the thermal solar plant while stretching  natural gas supplies in the event that the "lets pretend that the conventional natural gas supplies are not dwindling nor in politically volatile regions" strategy does not pan out as the natural gas enthusiasts hope.

Indeed, if the capital cost of the gas turbine stage can be recuperated during the transitional period, it could be replaced by some more renewable thermal power source ~ biogas, biocoal, etc.

I've been accused of being a Marxist, yet while Harpo's my favourite, it's Groucho I'm always quoting. Odd, that.