Committed to solar

Fri, Jul 10, 2009 (3 a.m.)

Momentum has been building for quite some time in Nevada’s quest to develop a large-scale solar power industry. What has been missing is a commitment from the federal government that developers who wish to build the renewable energy plants on public land be given priority to push those projects forward.

As In Business Las Vegas reporter Nicole Lucht informed readers last week, that commitment was delivered at UNLV by Interior Secretary Ken Salazar. Accompanied by Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada, Salazar announced the government will put proposed solar projects in Nevada and five other Western states on a fast track for approval.

Salazar was right when he said the benefits of harnessing sunshine are “energy independence for our nation, environmental security for our planet, and jobs, jobs, jobs for the people of America.”

To back up his words, Salazar said the Interior Department plans to study the potential for solar energy development in this state on 150,000 acres spread over seven zones. This will make the federal government a partner in site selection, which should make it easier for qualified solar plant applications to be approved.

Accelerating federal approval of proposed solar projects, another element of Salazar’s plan, should also help developers who have made a financial commitment to generate clean-burning, renewable energy plants in Nevada.

The Interior Department’s commitment to the solar energy industry also represents an innovative way to use public land for everyone’s benefit. Entrepreneurs will benefit because they will have the opportunity to profit from the conversion of sunshine into power. UNLV should be able to attract more research grants for solar development as the industry grows.

Jobs will be created and consumers of solar-powered electricity will be doing their part to help clean up the environment.