As summer begins in earnest and temperatures
climb, New Mexicans don't need to be reminded of the power of the sun,
but here's an interesting factoid: "Every hour the sun bathes the Earth in as much energy as the world consumes in an entire year."
New Mexico and other Western states could certainly play a role in
capturing that solar power and helping fill the demand for clean
energy. But what of the side effects of Big Solar? Where could
utility-scale power plants go? How much water would they require for
cooling and other uses? What about transmission lines? What industries
might be drawn if large solar plants were built?
The federal Bureau of Land Management is considering just those
questions in a broad look at large-scale solar power on its lands in
six Western states — New Mexico, Arizona, Colorado, Utah, Nevada and
California. As part of its effort to evaluate the potential
environmental impacts, the agency is holding scoping meetings
throughout the six-state region, including one in Albuquerque next week.
The BLM expects to identify which of its own lands may be
environmentally suitable for solar energy development and which lands
would be excluded from such development. It also will consider whether
designation of additional electricity transmission corridors on
BLM-administered lands is necessary to facilitate utility-scale solar
energy development. The results will be in published in a Programmatic
Environmental Impact Statement, which will take nearly two years to
complete, the agency says.
The Department of Energy is a partner in the scoping process as well and, as a result of the study, may adopt new policies on such issues as how it funds solar energy projects.
The agencies have set up a Web site
that is packed with information about utility-scale solar, including
the various technologies that might provide electric power, the
potential environmental effects and ways individuals can add their 2 cents to the discussion.
The Albuquerque scoping meeting will include an introductory
presentation on solar energy technologies and market prospects; the
proposed actions and scope of the impact statement, including
proposed alternatives and environmental issues and impacts to be
analyzed; and the public participation process. Public comments will be
taken immediately after the presentation; written comments will be accepted until July 15.
The meeting is set for 6 p.m. Thursday at the Drury Inn & Suites, 4310 The 25 Way Northeast.
