The renewable energy policy world is filled with government
agencies, corporations, conservation groups — and a tyranny of intimidating
acronyms. The California desert continues to serve as a petri dish for
renewable energy development, which has produced both Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde
results, thus far. The stage is set for the next phase in renewable energy
planning, and we can’t afford another failed experiment.
The goal of the Desert Renewable Energy Conservation Plan
(DRECP), shaped by the state of California, the Department of Interior and
dozens of important landowners and stakeholders, is to strike balance between
protecting species and spaces, while appropriately furthering renewable energy,
including solar, wind and geothermal development.
The DRECP builds upon the massive Solar Programmatic
Environmental Impact Statement, (Solar PEIS), which set policy for six western
states including California; created solar zones like Riverside East (the
country’s largest); and, smartly, reduced the western federal lands open to
solar development from 100 million acres to 20 million acres.
It also clarified where projects should be sited and
supported planning to protect diverse and, in some cases, endangered species
and resources. It eliminated the proposed Iron Mountain solar zone nearby to
Joshua Tree National Park, which would have disconnected critical wildlife
corridors between that park and protected mountain ranges north.
The DRECP process will refine the Solar PEIS, with a lens on
the California desert. While the DRECP is on a larger scale, it is similar to
the Coachella Valley Multiple Species Habitat Plan, in its mission to protect
critical species and habitats. If approved, the DRECP will be the dominant
solar energy guide for at least the next 25-40 years. In short: It’s a big deal
that we all need to pay attention to.
At last count, the California desert alone has more than 1
million acres of disturbed lands or previously developed lands that may be more
appropriate for solar panels and associated development. Although even on
disturbed lands, thoughtful decision-making is still necessary, particularly
where species and cultural conflicts lie. Protecting places that neighbor our
national parks and other wildlife-rich lands that infuse billions of dollars
into our local economies is of utmost importance. We urge Department of the
Interior Secretary Sally Jewell to take thoughtful action on this
landscape-level conservation plan.
A conservation legacy that fosters recreation and tourism
has bloomed over the past 20 years in the California desert. Thoughtful
planning is crucial to ensuring its longevity. The draft DRECP is expected to
be released for public comment in May.
While conversations between the plan authors and many
concerned parties including the National Parks Conservation Association is
leading to improvements, poorly sited projects that would harm our national
parks and negatively impact desert communities that financially rely on them
continue to be considered.
An Eagle Crest pumped storage proposal slurps critical
water, is a net energy loser and threatens Joshua Tree National Park. Bechtel’s
Soda Mountain solar proposal is a quarter-mile from Mojave National Preserve.
Iberdrola’s poorly sited wind and solar proposal would sit on the Old Spanish
Trail, just south of Death Valley National Park. And First Solar is seeking
approval for yet another poorly sited project in the now infamous Ivanpah
Valley.
Dramatic negative impacts to desert tortoises and to Mojave
National Preserve through projects like Ivanpah Solar gave a black eye to the
renewable energy industry. The DRECP must avoid harmful projects that erode
public trust and counter the plan’s purpose. Only by doing so can we ensure a
future that we can all take pride in.
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