When CPA evaluates which renewable energy projects to contract with, we prioritize projects that practice good land stewardship and are located within California. This recent article by Los Angeles Times Energy and Climate Change reporter Sammy Roth illustrates some of the on-the-ground challenges and trade-offs that exist when trying to implement those priorities.
“The barren dirt is littered with petrified carrots, blackened and barely recognizable after four years baking in the Imperial Valley’s legendary heat. The August sun is starting to set, but it’s still 113 degrees in California’s hottest, driest county. By year’s end, a field of solar panels should cover this land, sending clean electricity to San Diego. A giant battery will help the coastal city keep the lights on after dark. None of the infrastructure will destroy pristine wildlife habitat. If that sounds like an outcome to which nobody could object — well, welcome to the Imperial Valley.”
Read the full story here
