March 23, 2009
| By
Paul Mauldin
Back in the 1970’s I heard a futurist predict that the ultimate conflict would be between technocrats and environmentalists. Environmentalists, he said, pictured the perfect world as being best represented by a young deer drinking from the pure waters of a clear pond in a forest meadow. No pollution, no noise, no worries…no humans. On the other hand, he thought the technocrats’ dream world was a giant laboratory made of white plastic and chrome with a tile floor and occupied by white coated scientists. No earth tones, no dirt, no animals…no nature.
He was pushing the point a bit, but we are approaching a showdown on how we affect natural resources in the pursuit of power production. True, solar and wind don’t create greenhouse gases or nuclear waste. But they do require large amounts of land. Not necessarily “valuable” land, such as around the coast of Massachusetts where NIMBY wind opponents understandably don’t want the view blocked by wind towers. How about the windy, sunny desert areas of the American West? How about the Mojave Desert in Southern California?
That’s a problem also. Over a dozen companies have submitted applications to build wind and/or solar facilities on about 500,000 acres in the Mojave. This acreage was obtained a few years ago by the Bureau of Land Management from the Santa Fe and Southern Pacific railroads. That’s about 4 percent of the total Mojave area. But Dianne Feinstein, senior senator from California, has asked Interior Secretary Ken Salazar to turn down the applications.
The concern is over disturbing the delicate desert eco system. And there’s the rub - the more desolate the wilderness, the more delicate and vulnerable to permanent damage. Having been raised in the Southwest and being a great fan of Disney’s “The Living Desert” as a boy, I understand Feinstein’s concern.
I also understand California Governor Schwarzenegger’s frustration. “If we cannot put solar power plants in the Mojave Desert, I don’t know where the hell we can put it”, AP quoted him saying at Yale University.
Good question!
About the Author
Paul earned his B.S. and an M.S. in electrical engineering from the University of California-Berkeley and is a registered professional engineer. He has worked in the energy industry for more than 25 years, developing and implementing advanced energy technologies. As research director for Pacific Gas and Electric Co. he pioneered methodologies used in the design, maintenance and control of energy delivery systems. As a consultant he has provided guidance to utilities and the vendor community, nationally and internationally.
