Annotation3

Streater, Scott. "California Desert on Pace to Become World's Solar Capital." // The New York Times // 13 Aug. 2010. Web. .

** Where does the author work, what else has s/he written about, and what are her/his credentials? **  The author is a writer from Greenwire. Greenwire presents news on energy and environmental policy.

** What is the main topic or argument of the text? **  The push toward renewable sources in California has driven Governor Schwarzenegger to have 33% of California’s energy from renewable sources. Because of this, solar energy has achieved great advancements with some obstacles still in the way. One of the main barriers keeping solar projects from advancing are the environmental groups via the U.S. Bureau of Land Management; although, many projects have already received approval from the U.S. Bureau of Land Management. This government agency assigns Environmental Impact Statements (EISs) for projects. They assess the effects that a solar plant will have on the environment. Opponents to the technology point out the faults in the projects, specifying how the projects will negatively impact the habitat. Proponents and developers for the projects take this information, and they have been working hard to maintain the environmental impact to a minimum.

** Describe at least three ways that the main topic or argument is fleshed out. **  Three commercial solar plants have received EISs from the U.S. BLM. Together, they will span 20,000 acres of desert land. This will provide energy to 1.6 million homes. These plants will triple the amount of energy that is produced in the United States. Two of the three include Tesser Solar’s 850 MW Calico Solar plant and BrightSource Energy Inc.’s 392 MW Ivanpah solar Electric Generating System. They will be built in eastern San Bernardino County, which is the largest county in California. Six more solar plants are expected to pass approval from the U.S. BLM. The total nine plants would occupy 41,229 acres, generating 2580 MW of electricity. This would power 3.8 million residences. The installment of solar power plants is being done quickly so that a federal stimulus award could be applied. A “fast-track” permitting schedule has been set in place for the 9 power plants. The funding for these plants are made possible by Federal grants from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. However, the federal government has received criticism that they are progressing far too rapidly in the approval of the projects. The main environmental impacts include a permanent change in the Mojave Desert and Colorado Desert ecosystems through a strain in water supplies and a displacement of uncommon plants and animals. The Mojave Desert tortoises and the flat-tailed horned lizard will be affected. A stride taken to protect the desert environments is the California Desert Protection Act, where 1 million acres of the Mojave Desert will be unavailable to energy producers. Environmentalists continue to stress that public lands should not be the only place where the solar projects should be implemented. They persist that it can be done elsewhere. Solar companies are addressing the environmental problems that are pointed out about their projects. For example, Tessera Solar consented to a decrease in the amount of solar dishes they built on dry creek beds. These structures are important for the recharge and flood control of groundwater. Therefore, Tessera Solar will be installing a capacity of 709 MW instead of 750 MW. Solar companies are also making an effort to decrease their water consumption. For example, Tessera Solar plans to use treated wastewater to cleanse their solar panels. To do this, they will implement improvements to the entire city’s wastewater treatment plant.

** What three quotes capture the critical import of the text? **  “Industry officials, too, are excited about the Obama administration’s commitment to solar power after years of positive statements from federal agencies supporting the renewable sector, but with few new power plants to show for it.” “‘It is definitely new for the BLM, the size and scope for these types of projects,’ she said. ‘It’s new for the companies, too, because we just don’t have this large development anywhere else. So there are definitely going to be issues that we have not encountered anywhere else.’” “While introducing the bill last December, Feinstin said the federal government ‘has failed’ to protect sensitive areas and criticized BLM for being ‘slow to direct development towards disturbed lands or to discourage proposals on lands acquired for the purpose of conservation.’”

** Explain how the argument and evidence in the text supports your research focus. ** My research focus is to explore and analyze the distinct ideas toward solar energy. There is rapid progression to instilling new solar power plants in the Sunbelt states. Environmentalists are concerned that this rapid approach will bring unexpected consequences to the environment. Without enough time to consider all aspects, a quick and hasty decision for approval is risky. It seems like the solar companies are doing their best to decrease their environmental footprint. They are willing to decrease their project capacities, and they are making efforts to decrease their consumption of water. 