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Feinstein bill highlights tension between renewable power, conservation
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12/22/09 12:07 PM ET
Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) introduced legislation Monday that would set aside over one million additional acres of Southern California’s Mojave Desert for conservation – and block several planned solar power projects in the process.
She said in a statement that conservation, renewable energy and recreation can co-exist and that the bill strikes a “careful balance between these sometimes competing concerns.”
“I believe the development of these new cleaner energy sources is vital to addressing climate change, yet we must be careful about selecting where these facilities are located,” she said.
The bill also aims to overhaul – and streamline – the Interior Department’s planning process for wind and solar projects in the California desert and elsewhere.
Provisions of the bill include creating new Bureau of Land Management offices focused on renewable energy development in states with lots of wind and solar resources on public lands, according to a summary from her office.
Feinstein’s efforts highlight what can be a touchy divide between preservation and support for low-carbon energy.
Regarding the latter, last week she offered a plan to extend a federal grant program for renewable energy developers, who have seen traditional tax credit financing dry up in the economic downturn.
The New York Times and Wall Street Journal have reports Tuesday from Southern California on Feinstein’s new preservation plan.
She said in a statement that conservation, renewable energy and recreation can co-exist and that the bill strikes a “careful balance between these sometimes competing concerns.”
“I believe the development of these new cleaner energy sources is vital to addressing climate change, yet we must be careful about selecting where these facilities are located,” she said.
The bill also aims to overhaul – and streamline – the Interior Department’s planning process for wind and solar projects in the California desert and elsewhere.
Provisions of the bill include creating new Bureau of Land Management offices focused on renewable energy development in states with lots of wind and solar resources on public lands, according to a summary from her office.
Feinstein’s efforts highlight what can be a touchy divide between preservation and support for low-carbon energy.
Regarding the latter, last week she offered a plan to extend a federal grant program for renewable energy developers, who have seen traditional tax credit financing dry up in the economic downturn.
The New York Times and Wall Street Journal have reports Tuesday from Southern California on Feinstein’s new preservation plan.
