A Moratorium On Solar Power Draws Opposition From Fledgling Industry

With more than 130 proposals for building solar plants on U.S. government land awaiting approval, the U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has placed a two-year moratorium on further applications while it considers the environmental impact of solar development. Solar advocates fear that the moratorium could stunt the young industry, since many new companies will be temporarily unable to construct solar arrays on federal land. But the BLM contends that building the proposed plants, which would cover more than one million acres, could have a significant impact on ecosystems in deserts such as California’s Mojave. The lifetime of many solar plants is only 20 to 30 years, a BLM official said, making land reclamation an important concern. Solar company representatives acknowledged that care was needed but insisted the moratorium could set back an industry that many advocates hope will replace coal as America’s leading source of electricity generation.