Abstract
The rapid pace of climate change poses a major threat to biodiversity. Utility-scale renewable energy development (>1 MW capacity) is a key strategy to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, but development of those facilities also can have adverse effects on biodiversity. Here, we examine the synergy between renewable energy generation goals and those for biodiversity conservation in the 13 M ha Mojave Desert of the southwestern USA. We integrated spatial data on biodiversity conservation value, solar energy potential, and land surface slope angle (a key determinant of development feasibility) and found there to be sufficient area to meet renewable energy goals without developing on lands of relatively high conservation value. Indeed, we found nearly 200,000 ha of lower conservation value land below the most restrictive slope angle (<1%); that area could meet the state of California’s current 33% renewable energy goal 1.8 times over. We found over 740,000 ha below the highest slope angle (<5%) – an area that can meet California’s renewable energy goal seven times over. Our analysis also suggests that the supply of high quality habitat on private land may be insufficient to mitigate impacts from future solar projects, so enhancing public land management may need to be considered among the options to offset such impacts. Using the approach presented here, planners could reduce development impacts on areas of higher conservation value, and so reduce trade-offs between converting to a green energy economy and conserving biodiversity.
Highlights
Climate change poses one of the greatest threats to biodiversity [1,2]
Therein lies a paradox of utility-scale renewable energy development: it may be necessary to reduce climate change impacts and help protect biodiversity worldwide in the future; but if not carefully planned, it could come at the expense of the viability of local species today or constrain their ability to adapt to future conditions by destroying, or creating dispersal barriers to, areas they will need in the future
Our study focuses on the Mojave Desert, as it is the focus of intense development pressure: it offers large expanses of public lands with exceptional solar energy resources in close proximity to highly populated regions with strong markets for renewable energy
Summary
Climate change poses one of the greatest threats to biodiversity [1,2]. Many species will be challenged to adapt to the magnitude and pace of the change, especially those already compromised by habitat loss and degradation [3]. MW) renewable energy generation facilities is a core element of a multi-faceted strategy to reduce emissions from the energy sector [5] Such facilities can have sizable footprints in terms of land area and water use [6], and so can threaten natural ecosystems directly through habitat loss and fragmentation, or indirectly through the displacement of other human land uses [7]. Therein lies a paradox of utility-scale renewable energy development: it may be necessary to reduce climate change impacts and help protect biodiversity worldwide in the future; but if not carefully planned, it could come at the expense of the viability of local species today or constrain their ability to adapt to future conditions by destroying, or creating dispersal barriers to, areas they will need in the future
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