Desert Renewable Energy Conservation Plan Map (Nov 2015). Figure 3, DRECP LUPA Executive Summary.
On November 10th, California took an essential step towards reaching its ambitious mandate for 50% clean energy by 2030: the federal Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and partner organizations released the updated Desert Renewable Energy Conservation Plan. The plan aims to facilitate sustainable and responsible renewable energy development on public lands in the California desert – an area spanning more than 22 million acres, some of which has already been set aside for conservation and recreation and is managed by the National Park Service. To be successful, the plan must balance conservation of fragile desert ecosystems with renewable energy installations.
In the age of global climate change, addressing the rampant use of fossil fuels is an urgent challenge facing the United States. The US has among the highest emissions of Carbon Dioxide in the world – a statistic that feels daunting for US residents living their day-to-day lives. California is showing the country that acting on challenging issues like global warming is do-able. And, surprisingly, the updated version of the plan the BLM just released is sparking less controversy than other renewable energy projects in remote sites have.
Historically, there’s been tension between land conservation and energy development. On one hand, there’s an urgent need for clean energy sites and public undeveloped land provides abundant space for wind and solar operations.
On the other, being wary of government driven development is justified. Even well intentioned developments like clean energy projects could threaten the resiliency of fragile ecosystems. What’s more, development projects in public lands often neglect the cultural interests and wellbeing of local residents. Previous solar installations in the Mojave Desert – an area that’s now included in the Desert Renewable Energy Conservation Plan – have damaged desert land that’s sacred to the Colorado River Tribes.
The Desert Renewable Energy Conservation Plan hasn’t entirely avoided these pitfalls. Indigenous land rights advocates and wildlife conservation groups like the Center for Biological Diversity are still concerned with degradation of unique and fragile ecosystems in the western Mojave region. Alternately, some renewable energy advocates are disappointed with limited space allocated to wind turbines. For the plan to be successful, the BLM and its partner organizations must address these concerns moving forward. But aside from the criticism in the western Mojave region, the updated plan has received mostly positive responses ranging from local governments all the way to national environmental organizations. This is a major accomplishment given the scale of the proposal, which begs the question: what has the Desert Renewable Energy Conservation plan done differently than similar (and less successful) land management proposals?
The answer lies in two primary distinctions: the project’s landscape level approach and the planning organizations’ responses to feedback. The Desert Renewable Energy Conservation plan maps out many different land use guidelines (development, recreation, conservation) over an extensive area. This approach to land management is uncommon, and initially caused substantial pushback at the municipality level since local interests weren’t being met. However, the BLM asked for feedback on the initial version of the plan that was released in early 2015 and the concerns raised were weighted heavily in the revisions. By bridging a rough landscape level approach with local input, the BLM has created a cohesive, long-term plan for the region that meets a range of stakeholder needs.
The Desert Renewable Energy Conservation plan provides an example of successful public land management that balances ecosystem and cultural preservation with renewable energy installation. The success the plan, of course, rests on the BLM’s continued willingness to accept and incorporate local feedback – like that of the western Mojave indigenous communities – while maintaining a landscape level management plan. To address climate change as a nation, other states need to follow California’s example and take more serious steps in the transition to clean energy. Fortunately, the Desert Renewable Energy Conservation plan provides an innovative roadmap to balancing preserving natural space and utilizing public resources for sustainable energy harvest.