Who Turned Out The Lights?

Apparently it was the Bureau of Land Management, which said recently that an extensive study was needed to determined the environmental effects of the construction of large solar plants in the Western U.S. Helping the environment getting in the way of helping the environment. Sucks, doesn’t it?

So, coal plants are being shut down before they open (yeah!) , nuclear is on the hot seat and now solar projects are on hold for up to two years. From where will we get all the energy we need to waste? By the way, you can discover more about the moratorium from Dan Frosch here. A few tidbits from the piece though:

• The manager of the Bureau of Land Management’s environmental impact study, Linda Resseguie, said that many factors must be considered when deciding whether to allow solar projects on the scale being proposed, among them the impact of construction and transmission lines on native vegetation and wildlife. In California, for example, solar developers often hire environmental experts to assess the effects of construction on the desert tortoise and Mojave ground squirrel.
• While proponents of solar energy agree on the need for a sweeping environmental study, many believe that the freeze is unwarranted. Some, like Ms. Gordon, whose company has two pending proposals for solar plants on public land, say small solar energy businesses could suffer if they are forced to turn to more expensive private land for development.

Clearly there are two positions here, and on the surface both have the planet’s best interest involved, intentionally or not. Of course if I had a contract to produce and sell energy made from the sun I’d be hard pressed to agree with the moratorium. But, I don’t, so thinking a little caution is warranted is easy. Plus, building in the desert has already had enough negative environmental impact; my heart bleeds for the desert tortoise and the Mojave ground squirrel.

So why am I still feeling conflicted? Because, stopping large scale solar installations will have a negative effect on the entire solar industry. The average consumer who is considering the purchase of photovoltaic cells for his house or company will now suffer as well. The benefit to society of large scale technological innovation and implementation is that variations of that technology can be made available to you and me at a fraction of the cost, in a safe and efficient form. Solar technology will only get more efficient and cheaper over time. Stopping the production of solar plants for two years means delaying the small-scale benefits to individual consumers by two years, at least. While solar panels on homes and automobiles and factories won’t stop all greenhouse gas production, their mere presence raises awareness, and a little enlightenment goes a long way.