Mojave Conservation Plan Imperils Renewable Energy Projects

Tuesday, 22 December 2009 17:27

A California senator introduced legislation that would protect more than a million acres in the Mojave Desert, including land eyed by developers for solar and wind energy projects. U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein, a longtime supporter of desert protection, has proposed protecting 1.7 million acres of desert, including a 941,000-acre Mojave Trails National Monument. Developers say the proposed preservation area includes valuable real estate for renewable energy projects. Some projects, including BrightSource’s plan to build a solar plant in the

Mojave Desert

Broadwell Dry Lake region, have already been abandoned because of Feinstein’s plan. And making so much desert off limits to development may push the solar industry to other states, said John Woolard, BrightSource’s chief executive. In a step toward compromise with developers, Feinstein included provisions in the legislation that would cut drastically the time and costs associated with federal review for renewable energy projects on private lands. For instance, the length of a required endangered species review would be reduced from seven to nine years to 18 to 36 months. David Myers, executive director of Wildlands Conservancy, lauded the legislation, saying it would guarantee that hundreds of thousands of acres donated to the government for preservation would actually be protected. “We don't have to sacrifice our national treasures for renewable energy,” he said. “We need both.”

Source: http://e360.yale.edu/content/digest.msp?id=2206