Few Solar Applications Are Within Feinstein Proposed Desert Monument Area
California’s Senator Feinstein has proposed a bill to set aside land along Route 66 under the Mojave desert for a National Monument; by negotiating an agreement in advance with the conservationists and setting aside a “no solar” area (orange area on map above) of the Mojave desert.
Several of the over 10 GW of solar applications that are currently under review in California (red dots on the CEC map above) are in that portion of the desert.
But the great majority are not within the proposed monument area, as the map over the jump shows:
When you look at the entire desert area available in the map of the Southern California desert area (below), you see that most of the red dots – that signify a solar application under review – are actually outside the two areas that Senator Feinstein proposes to set aside.
By clarifying in advance what desert land could be approved for solar, her proposed bill should greatly speed up the vast majority of the applications.
Images: California Energy Commission
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January 1st, 2010 at 1:14 pm
Sen. Feinstein’s bill will slow some really great solar and wind projects in the Mojave Desert, most of which aren’t even in her targeted area. These “monuments” could coexist with the panels and turbines of the alternative energy projects.
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