Citing Need for Assessments, U.S. Freezes Solar Energy Projects

[groovedaddy]

DENVER — Faced with a surge in the number of proposed solar power plants, the federal government has placed a moratorium on new solar projects on public land until it studies their environmental impact, which is expected to take about two years.

The Bureau of Land Management says an extensive environmental study is needed to determine how large solar plants might affect millions of acres it oversees in six Western states — Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico and Utah.

But the decision to freeze new solar proposals temporarily, reached late last month, has caused widespread concern in the alternative-energy industry, as fledgling solar companies must wait to see if they can realize their hopes of harnessing power from swaths of sun-baked public land, just as the demand for viable alternative energy is accelerating.

“It doesn’t make any sense,” said Holly Gordon, vice president for legislative and regulatory affairs for Ausra, a solar thermal energy company in Palo Alto, Calif. “The Bureau of Land Management land has some of the best solar resources in the world. This could completely stunt the growth of the industry.”
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/27/us/27solar.html?_r=1&adxnnl=1&oref=slogin&adxnnlx=1214581993-O2DYI70Ekvb5fa1oEm6Xiw

[ixion]

1. so in the past decades in which solar has existed, no one has ever done such a study?

:wtf:

Conversely, it seems the have no problem with oil companies trashing the environment.

[Captain Angry]

2. We have those reports on what coal does.

What? It pollutes? Ok, go ahead. I mean, as long as we know what it will do, go for it.

Solar? No emissions? No leakage? Yeah, we better study that for two years.

The nice thing is that in 6 months we might have somebody in office who will be able to say "well that was a stupid policy" and fix it quickly.

[Kali]

3. It sounds like an obnoxious repuke sort of move, but there could be

a good reason to study impacts. Especially of a large operation. There could be issues of infrastructure, viewsheds, security and so forth, not to mention potential minor impacts on local environment. Potential destruction of habitat etc.

Just because it appeals in terms of "cleanliness" and renewability doesn't mean there will be no negative consequences. Nepa and other acts exist for a reason and they should apply equally to everybody.

[kristopher]

4. I think your first take is probably more correct.

The 'thuglicans have been making a habit of twisting environmental legislation to fit their own perverse agenda. Every project out there has already gone through the NEPA process; there is no legitimate reason for a level of concern that would justify a moratorium. I mean, think of their basic premise of non-interference in industry and their resistance to even monitoring the emissions of mercury from coal.

This is a bullshit scam.

[kestrel91316]

5. We have to have a hands-off, no questions asked policy about

oil and natural gass development in BLM lands, and god forbid we rein in the massive overgrazing by cattle there.......

But those AWFUL solar panels are just gonna destroy the environment!!!!1!!!! We have to STOP them right now!!1!!!11!!

[BridgeTheGap]

6. We're being scammed again!!! n.t