Defenders of Wildlife Blog

A golden eagle.

Hundreds of thousands of acres of wildlife habitat and sensitive public lands once targeted for large-scale solar power plants are now off the table, sparing threatened desert tortoises, desert bighorn sheep, golden eagles and other unique wildlife.

On Thursday, Interior Secretary Ken Salazar released an improved draft of the federal government’s plan for solar energy development on public lands in the West, which dropped some proposed energy zones that Defenders opposed, such as the Iron Mountain and Pisgah zones in California.

The announcement came as good news for wildlife, but it could also spell a bright future for the emerging solar power industry.

That’s because the Bureau of Land Management made several improvements to the plan that could jumpstart responsible solar energy development in Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico and Utah.

BLM officials say the draft plan now aims to focus development in sunny places that also have a better chance of avoiding and minimizing impacts on wildlife and the environment.

A solar dish.

Solar power projects that steer clear of wildlife habitat and fragile desert lands, says Defenders senior director for renewable energy Jim Lyons, tend to face less controversy and fewer slowdowns.

“The benefits of guided development are clear: Clean energy can come online faster and at a lower cost to developers and to our nation’s wildlife and treasured places,” he says.

Related: Read our press release on the Interior Department’s announcement.

Defenders and the conservation community worked alongside solar industry representatives earlier this year to answer to the question of how to quickly ramp up solar energy production without sacrificing imperiled wildlife and the unique desert landscape.

After long hours of negotiations, the group agreed on a number of commonsense solutions, including removing some inappropriate zones, a process for creating new zones to meet future energy demand, and giving developers some flexibility to plan projects on low-conflict lands outside the zones.

BLM worked these ideas into the new draft of the plan after receiving more than 80,000 public comments last summer, including thousands from Defenders’ members and supporters.

BLM lands in California.

“Although the new draft has reduced the amount of land available for solar development, the proposed areas appear to offer a bigger shot at success,” says California program director, Kim Delfino, who helped to draft the joint comments. “The remaining zones, which still total nearly 300,000 acres, have been refined to help developers avoid and minimize the worst impacts on wildlife and the environment.”

There’s still ample opportunity for solar growth in California and across the West, she adds, pointing out that BLM is still considering some 79 solar project applications on nearly 700,000 acres of land.

There is also the potential for new solar zones to be created through the Interior Department’s proposed solar plan and California’s Desert Renewable Energy Conservation Plan process, which aims to identify important places in the desert to protect for conservation and areas that are suitable for renewable energy development.

The Bureau of Land Management is taking public comment on the supplement to the draft Solar Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement over the next three months.

Meanwhile, Defenders will be taking a closer look at the nearly 600-page-long document to make sure it delivers on its promise of a “Smart from the Start” solar energy program.

DESERT TORTOISE, (C) Jeff Aardahl/Defenders of Wildlife

NEWS: Conservation groups urge Interior Department to move the Calico Solar Project to less sensitive lands

A coalition of conservation groups made a last-ditch appeal to Interior Secretary Ken Salazar today, urging the Bureau of Land Management to move the Calico Solar Project from vital desert habitat to degraded lands that could produce the same amount of energy, but pose less risk to imperiled wildlife and the environment.

Kim Delfino, Defenders' California program director.

“The conservation community wants to see clean energy projects succeed, but development has to be done smart from the start, where projects are designed up front to avoid, minimize and mitigate impacts on wildlife and the environment. The Calico Solar Project is a glaring example of the wrong way to pursue solar energy projects,” said Kim Delfino, California Program Director for Defenders of Wildlife.

“The harm to imperiled wildlife, plants and fragile desert habitat caused by this project if it is built in this location seriously outweighs any benefits. And while we’ve worked successfully with a number of large-scale solar project developers to reduce their project’s impacts on the environment and supported other projects with no changes, the impacts of this project are too great in its present location. As we have done successfully with other solar developers, we hope we can find a way to modify this project to reduce its impacts and permit it to proceed.”

Related: Read Defenders’ fact sheet explaining why Calico is an example of solar development done wrong.

The groups have notified the Interior Department of their intention to file a lawsuit against BLM and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for approving the 4,613-acre solar power facility, which will impact seven imperiled species in the fragile Mojave Desert landscape, including desert tortoise, burrowing owls and bighorn sheep.

The Calico Solar Project is a glaring example of the wrong way to pursue solar energy projects. – Kim Delfino

But the groups hope to work out an agreement with the project’s developer, K-Road Power, and BLM outside the courts if the developer is willing to move the project to less sensitive lands. The groups have pointed out that the project could work well on mostly private lands — including some degraded agricultural lands and former industrial sites, called brownfields, that are close to the current site, but outside of the sensitive Pisgah Valley.

The Calico project will use solar dishes like thisone and solar panels to capture sunlight and create electricity. (C) NERL

The California Energy Commission found that these alternative sites would be a good option for the project and would likely result in fewer impacts on wildlife and the environment. But BLM and the project developer at the time, Tessera Solar, rejected these locations.

Together, Defenders of Wildlife, the Natural Resources Defense Council and the Sierra Club have worked out agreements with developers to resolve concerns over four projects on public lands, resulting in the permitting of some 2,595 megawatts — nearly 90 percent of the solar energy to be built on BLM lands in California. Despite the groups’ strong track record of working with developers to reduce impacts on wildlife and natural resources, K-Road Power has been unwilling to consider a less environmentally damaging alternative.

“The area where the Calico project is currently planned is simply not appropriate for renewable energy development,” said Barb Boyle, Senior Representative for the Sierra Club’s Beyond Coal campaign.  “If built in this location, the Calico project will unnecessarily sacrifice important and irreplaceable wildlife, plants and habitat.  Especially when there are ample disturbed and/or degraded sites throughout California that are appropriate for renewable energy development, selecting this specific land for the project has created a preventable conflict between the project’s developers and Californians who want to preserve our state’s native wildlife and landscapes.  There is still time to get this right and we hope to work with K-Road Power to find an alternative location that has far fewer impacts on wildlife and desert ecosystems.”

Related: Read our letter to Interior Secretary Salazar.

By Lori Abbott, Public News Service – CA

BLM says it will steer utility-scale solar power plants to public lands with least chance of harming wildlife.

A plan to create solar-energy zones in California and five other western states is getting a closer look.

Interior Secretary Ken Salazar says the Bureau of Land Management’s draft plans will include more information on how solar projects will affect wild lands, wildlife, water and other resources in proposed solar-energy zones.

Kim Delfino, program director for Defenders of Wildlife in California, thinks the “zone” approach offers the best chance for responsibly developing solar energy on public lands, and the goal is to encourage it as soon as possible.

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Listen to this story featuring Calif. program director, Kim Delfino, on Public News Service radio.

“In the right locations, which means that we’re putting them where you’re not going to have significant impacts on wildlife, habitat areas, important natural resources and cultural areas.”

When it comes to developing renewable-energy projects on public lands, Delfino says, using what they call a “smart from the start” approach will allow the process to move much faster.

Kim Delfino, Defenders' California program director.

“If you figure out ahead of time where the best, most low-cost places are to go and you have a consensus about that, when projects are proposed there, they can move forward quickly, efficiently and with minimal litigation – or no litigation is the goal.”

The federal government last week announced four new renewable-energy projects, which include two utility-scale solar developments and a transmission line in California as well as a wind-energy project in Oregon. Together, the four projects will provide a combined 550 megawatts of electricity, enough to power up to 380,000 homes and generate several million dollars of yearly tax revenue for local governments.

A solar power plant like the one above can cover several thousand acres with fields of mirrors.

BREAKING: Some members of the U.S. House of Representatives are taking another swipe at environmental protection laws through a suite of renewable energy bills (H.R. 2170, 2171, 2172 and 2173), which would allow renewable-energy developers to short-circuit environmental impact studies for clean energy projects on public lands.

The following is a statement from Jim Lyons, Defenders of Wildlife’s senior director for renewable energy:

“Financial insecurity and uncertainty are the real roadblocks to clean energy — not wildlife and important laws to protect our environment. The solar and wind energy industries have time and again asked Congress to establish a stable source of federal financial incentives, like it does for oil and gas, to drive real growth and steady development. And we agree with them.

Jim Lyons, senior director for renewable energy

“These bills fail to provide any assurances of that much-needed capital, and will do little to spur clean energy development. In fact, the budget proposed by House leaders would cut clean energy funding.

Related: Learn more about Defenders work on renewable energy.

“If generating jobs and advancing clean energy is really the goal, the solution is not circumventing the laws designed to protect the environment. Instead of addressing the real roadblock to clean energy development, these bills perpetuate the myth that it is environmental laws standing in the way. This is simply not the case.”

Background:

The package of bills follows a series of Congressional hearings exploring challenges to developing renewable energy projects, such as wind farms and solar power plants, on federal lands.

During congressional hearings in May and early June, however, industry leaders highlighted the lack of stable federal financial incentives for renewable energy projects as the biggest barrier to faster development.

Instead of addressing the real roadblock to clean energy development, these bills perpetuate the myth that it is environmental laws standing in the way. This is simply not the case.

“Without more stable federal financial incentives and demand-side policies,” said Roby Roberts with the American Wind Energy Association at the hearing, “any changes to make developing wind energy projects on public lands more attractive will be of only marginal benefit.”

But the bills, the subject of a hearing in the House Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources today, fail to solidify federal incentives for renewable energy projects.

Turbines like these produce clean electricity by catching the wind.

In releasing its new report, “21^st Century Government:  A Simpler, Smarter Regulatory System,” the Obama administration highlighted its “smart from the start” approach to large-scale renewable energy development on public lands.

While the Obama administration has made progress – more than any previous administration – in advancing clean energy development, it is essential that lessons learned from initial efforts to develop renewable energy be used to develop a smarter approach moving forward.

In reality, the administration’s efforts to promote clean energy development have not been as smart as they could and should be. And they have been slow to start. In all fairness, the oil spill

disaster in the Gulf of Mexico last year diverted enough energy and expertise among key agencies in the federal government, including the White House, to slow progress on the clean energy front. You can see the irony here, of course, since building a clean energy economy is essential to reducing our oil dependency. But that excuse is gone now, and the Obama administration is focused on accelerating responsible renewable energy development.

Related: Learn more about Defenders’ work to make renewable energy wildlife-friendly.

But the slow progress in clean energy development can’t be blamed solely on the Obama administration. A real roadblock to clean energy development has been the lack of certainty that Congress will commit essential funding for renewable energy projects. For years, Congress has shown consistent support for oil and gas companies. Last year, for example, it gave nearly $4 billion to the oil industry in tax breaks and incentives. In contrast, there’s never been this same long-term commitment to renewable energy.

The Obama administration’s efforts to promote clean energy development have not been as smart as they could and should be.

Short-term stimulus funding provided a needed boost for clean energy research and development. But compared to the permanent “incentives” for oil and gas development, the time-limited, support for renewable energy projects is totally inadequate.  Grants and loan guarantees for renewable energy projects will run out again the end of this year. And this is bound to bring about another rush to get projects done, which leads to hurried planning and analysis of impacts on water, wildlife and the environment.  Only the Congress can fix this problem — as the administration has encouraged them to do.

A Solar Energy Strategy

For its part, the U.S. Department of the Interior is working to put in place a process for solar development that would get good projects done faster and more cost effectively. We’re urging

A solar power plant like the one above can cover several thousand acres with fields of mirrors.

the Interior Department to make the program truly Smart from the Start. That means starting with good planning and project siting. Developing projects in areas where conflicts with wildlife, wild lands, and other important natural and cultural resources are minimal — making the probability of success that much higher — is clearly smart.  Even better, these projects should be close to transmission lines (or places where transmission lines are likely to be) so that the power generated can be delivered without having to build new, expensive transmission corridors. This is smart, too. And even better would be to recycle landscapes that have already been damaged like old mines or worn-out farm lands – that way a solar power plant can give new life to already degraded lands and minimize impacts on pristine places and wildlife habitats.

Of course, not all impacts can be avoided in all places, so a means to mitigate unavoidable impacts is needed as well. BLM policy is to protect sensitive wildlife and improve habitats for threatened and endangered species. Smart planning, especially if done at a larger, landscape level, instead of on a project-by-project basis, can improve the likelihood that impacts will be avoided, minimized and mitigated where necessary.

Up Front Environmental Studies Needed

Finally, if a means can be found to do much of the environmental review and analysis ahead of time for the places best suited for clean energy projects, it would help speed up planning,

Some of the best places for the threatened desert tortoise habitat are also prime for solar energy.

permitting and construction. This isn’t complicated either. It simply requires coordination between government agencies, developers and other stakeholders. That way we can ensure that any unanticipated and unintended impacts of a project are identified early and minimized and mitigated.

The Obama administration is on the right track in proposing to be Smart from the Start as it encourages clean energy development and promotes a clean energy economy. But to be successful and smart, it needs to keep things simple. Put projects in the right places, mitigate any unavoidable impacts, and streamline the processes required to ensure that clean energy gets permitted and built in an environmentally sound and efficient way. That’s a 21^st century strategy based on old-fashioned common sense.

NEWS: Conservation groups from around the country today supported key aspects of the Bureau of Land Management’s draft plan for developing solar power on America’s western public lands.

However, they add that a Modified Solar Zone Alternative is needed to build in important improvements that ensure protections for wildlife, water and other resources so that the final plan is truly Smart from the Start.

“We’re pleased to see the BLM endorse a ‘zone-based’ approach that would guide solar projects to the right places to start – areas with the highest renewable-energy potential as well as the fewest wildlife and other conflicts,” said Pam Eaton, TWS’s deputy vice president for public lands. “Together with improved energy efficiency and small-scale solar projects, an enhanced zone approach will allow our public lands to play an important role in America’s transition to a clean, renewable energy future.”

Related: Learn more about solar energy’s impacts on wildlife with Kim Delfino.

“If they’re smart about this, we’ll have more power from renewable energy and get it to consumers sooner and at a lower cost, while creating thousands of new jobs, and providing a cleaner, healthier future for our children,” said Johanna Wald, a senior attorney at NRDC.  “While the BLM’s proposal provides a good starting point, it won’t achieve these goals without important improvements.”

A Tale of Two Plans

The BLM’s preferred alternative is one of two being examined in a draft Solar Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement. One, the Solar Energy Zones Alternative, would guide solar power projects to 24 specific zones covering nearly 677,000 acres in Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico and Utah. The other, which is the agency’s Preferred Alternative, goes much farther by opening up an additional 21 million acres outside those zones that have yet to be studied for potential resource conflicts. Conservation groups disagreed with the choice of the Preferred Alternative, and argued neither alternative offered the certainty that the groups, solar developers, and the agency itself needs to move forward on a smart path.

It’s possible to better minimize and mitigate project impacts so wildlife is no worse off as a result. This draft doesn’t do that yet and must be improved…

Jim Lyons, senior director for renewable energy

According to Jim Lyons, senior director for renewable energy with Defenders of Wildlife, the Department of the Interior has committed to building a clean, renewable energy future Smart from the Start.

He adds that while the BLM’s draft plan for solar energy on public lands shows some promise, it’s possible to better minimize and mitigate project impacts so wildlife is no worse off as a result; and he says this draft doesn’t do that yet and must be improved to ensure protections for wildlife and water, including a clear commitment to mitigate unavoidable damage.

“Solar energy is key to a real clean energy future. That’s why the conservation community has been working tirelessly over the last several months on recommendations to help the BLM design a plan that will be flexible enough to help developers build projects, while at the same time reduce chances for conflicts with wildlife and speed up permitting,” said Lyons.

Conservation Groups Offer a Smart Approach

The groups pointed out that several of the 24 proposed zones would have a significant adverse impact on the local environment and recommended that those zones be dropped in favor of a process to designate other sites that are equally well suited to solar development with significantly less impact on publicly owned natural resources.

Solar energy is key to a real clean energy future. That’s why the conservation community has been working tirelessly over the last several months on recommendations to help the BLM…

A 114-day public comment period on the draft plan, which included 13 listening sessions around the western United States, ended today. In addition to presentations made at those sessions, more than 65,000 comments were submitted recommending that the BLM adopt a modified Solar Energy Zones Alternative. A modified alternative would:

• Allow solar development only inside designated zones;
• Drop the proposed Pisgah and Iron Mountain zones in California and Bullard Wash in Arizona, but considers additional solar zones in California’s West Mojave and in Arizona instead;
• Establish specific criteria and a timeline for creating other new solar energy zones;
• Allow BLM to comply with current wildlife law and policy and mandate sufficient mitigation for unavoidable impacts from solar development; and
• Create a process for clearing out the backlog of applications that are speculative or are in high-conflict areas so that the agency can concentrate on pending applications and encourage less controversial projects to relocate inside the zones—those most likely to be successfully permitted.

“Over the past two years, we’ve worked closely with solar developers and agency officials on individual projects, providing recommendations for improving those projects and identifying appropriate development areas,” said Helen O’Shea, deputy director of NRDC’s Western Renewable Energy Project. “But that project-by-project approach is no way to rapidly and cost-efficiently develop the renewable energy we need. We need a better, smarter way forward, and we’re hoping that the BLM takes this opportunity to put a truly smart plan in place.”

A true Smart from the Start program would consider contributions from energy efficiency as well as from all renewable energy sources — wind, solar and geothermal, whether large-scale or small.

The Modified Solar Energy Zones Alternative is an important stepping-stone to a national Smart from the Start renewable energy program. A true Smart from the Start program would consider contributions from energy efficiency as well as from all renewable energy sources — wind, solar and geothermal, whether large-scale or small. It would also set clear guidelines and criteria for how, when and where those projects will be sited. That includes putting projects on private lands as well as public lands, steering them to already degraded lands such as abandoned farms and mines, or former military installations, placing them near existing power lines, and ensuring that they will pose minimal threats to wildlife, water supplies and other resources.

Read our detailed comments to the BLM.