Large-scale solar power development projects in Southern California are straining local water availability, threatening desert ecosystems and being impacted by tight water supplies, according to a report by Inside Climate News. causing anger among residents.
Small communities around Desert Center, California rely on naturally occurring groundwater reservoirs known as groundwater aquifers, but water-intensive development processes for large-scale solar projects have forced groundwater Your level is declining. according to To inside climate news. According to Inside Climate News, development activities have dried up vital local wells, subsided the land beneath homes, and damaged desert ecosystems.
According to Inside Climate News, local residents are not allowing the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and the companies driving development of California’s Colorado desert to provide sufficient input into the development decision-making process. I am dissatisfied with this. Despite BLM guarantee “Renewable energy development on BLM-managed public lands will continue to create jobs and boost local economies, while helping communities across the country become part of the climate response,” residents said. However, he said he has not benefited much from solar projects. According to Inside Climate News, strains on groundwater supplies are increasing. (Related: Biden administration cracks down on Chinese solar panels, undermining environmental policy)
According to Inside Climate News, Teresa Pearce, a resident of a nearby community who has helped organize other locals to respond to resource scarcity and solar development, said, “There is a community here. No one thought about living there,” he said.
According to Inside Climate News, developers have been forced to invest in groundwater aquifers because there are no other viable water supplies in the area and the prohibitive cost of transporting water from other locations to the development site. It is layer dependent. According to Inside Climate News, the development will deplete local communities’ water resources, such as trailer parks, and if local scarcity continues to worsen, “without water, we’re dead,” a property manager said. It is said that
Joe Biden: “We’re going to shut down these power plants across America and bring in wind and solar power.” pic.twitter.com/dkIu80sqZa
— Daily Caller (@DailyCaller) November 4, 2022
There are two palm trees on the property and no home, but another local said their electricity bill dropped from $15 to $15 in just a month as the electric irrigation pumps worked so hard to keep the palm trees alive. Down to $1,800. According to Inside Climate News, the development will make extensive use of groundwater supplies. According to Inside Climate News, drilling a new deep well could cost up to $100,000.
According to former BLM employees cited by Inside Climate News, BLM said solar projects approved on public lands may be using too much water from local groundwater reservoirs by its own standards. Although it was aware that there was a problem, the agency still went ahead with the project.
According to Inside Climate News, aside from the human strain of groundwater aquifers, the development of solar power has provided critical habitat space for animals that once lived in desert regions. Many small bodies of water were said to have been overtaken throughout the desert.
According to Inside Climate News, BLM has already approved seven utility-scale developments in the area, which spans about 19,000 acres, with more projects under consideration. An additional 120,000 acres are available for development in the area surrounding the Desert Center, according to Inside Climate News.
Biden administration publicly Touted A spending and regulatory effort aimed at keeping 30% of America’s land and waters free from development by 2030. The administration is also pushing hard for solar panels as part of a larger “green” energy plan.
All content produced by the Daily Caller News Foundation, an independent, non-partisan news distribution service, is available free of charge to legitimate news publishers capable of serving large audiences. All reissues must include our company logo, press byline, and DCNF affiliation. If you have any questions about our guidelines or partnering with us, please contact us at licensing@dailycallernewsfoundation.org.
