As the United States government gets serious about alternative energy, it must first narrow down the areas in which solar arrays will maximize the available sunlight, as well as harm as few local species as possible. Recently, the Department of the Interior set aside 670,000 acres of land in six western states as possible candidates to host arrays large enough to offer serious energy for Americans. The new energy bill that passed the house last week has created a demand for land once seen as largely worthless. Those areas are mostly sun drenched deserts and windswept plains.
The land being considered has been split into 24 solar energy zones that could eventually produce 100,000 megawatts of solar electricity. The process of elimination began with a task force in mid-March to designate those areas that are most ripe for newer, cleaner energy sources. These areas mostly have been lobbied for by applicants with large scale renewable energy plans, as the Bureau of Land Management has received about 470 applications, which includes 158 for active solar arrays.
There is some controversy over the choice of lands as many environmentalists wish not to see the desecration of pristine lands that house some of the rarest species in America. A vocal critic of the Interior’s list is Senator Diane Feinstein of California, who sees the selling out of some of these regions for renewable energy facilities “unacceptable!”
