Tuesday, August 16, 2022

Renewable Energy's Blind Spot

The Environmental Risks and Opportunities at Solar Sites

In its Clean Energy Commitment, APS laid out a path that includes tripling the renewable energy provided to customers in the next 10 years. Much of that goal will come from large solar sites in the Arizona desert. But what about the environmental, sustainability and governance (ESG) impact of those megawatts?

 

It may seem counterintuitive to ask about ESG for solar, since renewable energy is considered good for the environment. But utility scale solar sites, like other large developments, can have negative environmental effects depending on how they are sited and maintained.

 

Rapid renewable buildout without careful siting and maintenance can harm sensitive environments and community relationships.  ESG issues at solar sites may be a blind spot when company metrics are focused on total renewable or clean energy without a biodiversity component. 

 


Siting

 

The Arizona desert has areas of high biodiversity that should be avoided during development of renewable energy. Although all projects receive some environmental review, the level of review depends on the landowners, regulators and companies involved. This regulatory patchwork means that projects can be approved while still having significant issues.

 

For example, a large solar project in California was approved in prime desert tortoise habitat, and the company involved spent at least $56 million relocating the threatened species from its solar site. A different species of desert tortoise lives in AZ, but resource managers here are also concerned about impacts from development.

 

AZ Game and Fish (AZGFD), in their Guidelines For Solar Development in AZ, call for avoiding areas of high biodiversity, with a preference for already-degraded sites. By using land that has already been impacted by farming or mining, utility solar development can avoid many of the environmental risks associated with building on pristine landscapes.

 


Maintenance

 

Solar sites in the desert are usually maintained as bare ground, which involves regular application of herbicides to control any sprouting vegetation. Unfortunately, bare ground can concentrate and channel water, leading to runoff, erosion, and water pollution. And when it doesn’t rain, dust from the bare ground can lower air quality and soil the solar panels, reducing their efficiency.

 

The AZGFD Guidelines call for native plant revegetation of areas not necessary for facility maintenance. Revegetating parts of the sites with native plant species provides valuable habitat for pollinators and other native flora and fauna. AZGF notes that revegetation can also help control or prevent erosion, siltation and air pollution by stabilizing soil surfaces.

 


Challenge as Opportunity

 

The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) states that “solar developments can demonstrate good environmental stewardship through conservation and rehabilitation of local biodiversity.”

 

Across the US, solar sites are increasingly evaluated for overall sustainability, including impact to biodiversity. For example, 15 US states have already created environmental scorecards for solar energy sites. Sites with native vegetation that benefits pollinators and other species are rated higher.

 

Including best management practices (BMPs) in the siting and maintenance of solar sites, such as those in AZGFD Guidelines, can help ensure that solar sites don’t contribute to environmental degradation and are part of the environmental solution they are intended to be.

 

By proactively addressing these challenges, utilities can show commitment to ESG values while reducing potential conflicts and costs.




Further reading:


https://forestpolicypub.com/2022/08/08/now-comes-the-hard-part-of-the-ira-the-problems-of-siting-wind-and-solar-by-sammy-roth-of-la-times/

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