Created April 2012 republished Jan 2015 

California leads the world in the development of renewable energy resources. The aggressive California energy policies (33% by 2020 and AB 32) and massive government incentives have resulted in a rush to develop some of the world’s largest “utility grade” solar and wind projects in the Mojave . Two of the largest solar projects under construction are Abengoa Mojave Solar and Ivanpah Solar.
Check out a video we did on site at the Ivanpah project in April 2012  Going Mojave Solar

This video provides a commentary on the need for the principle of long-term planning and the trade-offs needed when we seek implement sustainable development. Recent news was the partial shut-down of construction on the massive Bright Source solar energy plant in the Ivanpah Valley, at the California- Nevada border outside Las Vegas.
Construction was stopped over Bureau of Land Management concerns regarding Desert Tortoise relocation. The Mojave one of our most bio-diverse semi-deserts has become a center for some of the largest solar energy plants in the world as we seek to reduce our fossil fuel use and reach California’s very ambitious renewable energy goals.
Land use is changing as most cattle ranchers have been forced to give up their operations in response to concerns about the health of Desert Tortoise populations and now a new set of players are faced with some of the same challenges. We need to do a better job of planning for renewable energy in the Mojave. A key sustainability principle to observe is the “Precautionary Principle”, not implementing practices that have long-term detrimental effects like unnecessary habitat destruction and high electricity transmission costs
We all can take responsibility by better understanding and then balancing the social, economic and environmental facets as we seek sustainable development for our future.