By Jason F. Nelson
With its more than 20 million residents, no area of the country has greater demands for power with limited water resources than Southern California. With its ample sunshine and available land, Southern California is at the center of the push for solar energy. Solar energy is green energy and both President Barack Obama and California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger are proponents of solar power.
Currently there are eleven large solar thermal farms going through the permission process with the California Energy Commission. There is a rush for approval of these planned industrial sized projects as Federal stimulus funds, which could contribute up to 30% projects costs, expire at the end of 2010. The funds would only be contributed if construction begins by year end. If all these projects break ground, the amount of federal contribution towards their costs could be near ten billion dollars.
Balancing energy needs, economic benefits, and environmental concerns is a difficult task. This deadline has created significant coordination between different interest groups with billions of dollars are at stake. Environmentalists want to ensure that these areas are protected and all projects comply with environmental laws. However, some believe that some habitat destruction is worth the substantial 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 Ivanpah dry lakebed. The project would bring significant economic impact to the Primm area, as the project would require hundreds of construction workers. Long term, the farm would need over 50 employees for its operation.
If built, the Ivanpah solar farm would generate electric power for more than a half million California homes. It would also give a big boost to California utility companies, as by 2020, under federal mandate, they are required to produce 33% of their energy from renewable resources. California has stringent environmental standards that must be met for the projects to go forward. Also, several of the projects are on federal land, which require approval from the U.S. Bureau of Land Management and local counties are also involved in the permitting process.
The California Energy Commission typically approves about 7 major energy projects a year in the state, typically natural gas or other energy sources. These planned industrial size energy farms, under such a tight deadline for federal stimulus funds, are creating demands on the agency not seen before. While the government of California faces a budge crisis and many other state workers face furloughs, the energy commission has had to take on more staff in light of the demands of these projects. The commission is stretched to the limit.
In an attempt to meet environmental laws, the Ivanpah solar farm project, has been shrunken 12% in size to 3,500 acres, to lessen damage to desert tortoise and rare plant habitat. Due to the tight timeline, project developers are hoping that the deadline for the stimulus funds will be extended. Legislation has been proposed by California Senator Dianne Feinstein. However, there is no guarantee of an extension so the push is on to get approval on these solar farm projects by years end.
Primm, Nevada is the gateway to Nevada from Southern California. Along Interstate 15, it is home to three large casinos drawing thousands of visitors daily. It is also home to the Fashion Mall of Las Vegas and two excellent golf courses. Learn more about the Primm area at http://www.PrimmNevada.net.
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