With its more than 20 million residents, no area of the country has greater demand for energy with limited water resources than Southern California. With its abundant sun and available land, Southern California is at the center of the solar energy push. Solar energy is green energy, and both President Barack Obama and California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger are advocates of solar energy.
There are currently eleven large solar farms that are going through the permitting process with the California Energy Commission. There is a rush for approval of these planned industrial-size projects as federal stimulus funds, which could contribute up to 30% of project costs, expire at the end of 2010. Funds would only be contributed if construction begins. before the end of the year. If all these projects are launched, the amount of the federal contribution to cover their costs could be around ten billion dollars.
Balancing energy needs, economic benefits and environmental concerns is a difficult task. This deadline has created significant coordination between different stakeholders with billions of dollars at stake. Environmentalists want to make sure these areas are protected and that all projects comply with environmental laws. However, some believe that habitat destruction offsets the significant economic and energy gains from these projects.
Ten of the eleven proposed solar farm sites are desert areas, with one site in the southern San Joaquin Valley. One of the eleven proposed sites is called the “Ivanpah” farm. It is located just 4.5 miles southwest of Primm, Nevada, on the dry bed of Lake Ivanpah. The project would bring a significant economic impact to the Primm area, as the project would require hundreds of construction workers. In the long term, the farm would need more than 50 employees to run.
If built, the Ivanpah solar farm would generate electrical power for more than half a million homes in California. It would also give California utilities a big boost, as by 2020, under federal mandate, they are required to produce 33% of their energy from renewable resources. California has strict environmental standards that must be met for projects to move forward. Additionally, several of the projects are on federal land, requiring approval from the US Bureau of Land Management, and local counties are also involved in the permitting process.
The California Energy Commission generally approves about 7 major energy projects a year in the state, usually natural gas or other energy sources. These planned industrial-size energy farms, under such a tight deadline for federal stimulus funds, are creating unprecedented demands on the agency. While the California government is facing a budget crisis and many other state workers are facing licensing, the energy commission has had to hire more staff in light of the demands of these projects. The commission is at the limit.
In an attempt to comply with environmental laws, the Ivanpah solar farm project was reduced 12% in size to 3,500 acres, to decrease damage to the desert tortoise and rare plant habitat. Due to time constraints, project developers expect the deadline for stimulus funds to be extended. California Sen. Dianne Feinstein proposed the legislation. However, there is no guarantee of an extension, so there is pressure to get approval for these solar park projects by the end of the year.
