A large-scale solar energy project in Kern County. Courtesy of Recurrent Energy
California is falling behind on meeting our climate goals, not on pace to meet our 2030 greenhouse gas reduction target until the 2060s or later. Now the state’s pending decision on whether to list the iconic western Joshua tree as a threatened species could imperil progress further by potentially making large-scale solar facilities infeasible to build in our vast, sun-soaked deserts.
According to a recent government analysis, California will need to triple our build rate of renewable energy to meet a mandate for carbon-free electricity by 2045, along with statewide carbon neutrality. That means an urgent “all of the above” approach to renewable energy sources, including both on- and offshore wind turbines and solar panels on rooftops and in large-scale solar facilities, particularly in…