California regulators clear USD 700 million Mojave solar project in bighorn corridor
California's Energy Commission approved a USD 700 million solar facility on 1,080 hectares of federal land next to the Mojave National Preserve, clearing the project on a 4-0 vote in April, Mongabay reported. The developer, VC Renewables, plans to build on ground bordering one of the largest units in the U.S. National Park System.
The site, called Soda Mountain Solar, falls within the route desert bighorn sheep travel to cross between mountain ranges, according to Mongabay.
In its final order memo, the commission said mitigation built into the plan would cut the effect on desert wildlife to "less than significant," per Mongabay.
VC Renewables is a subsidiary of European fossil fuel trader Vitol, Mongabay reported.
California holds roughly 5,000 to 6,000 desert bighorn statewide. The preserve next to the project covers more than 1.6 million acres, Mongabay reported.
Source: news.mongabay.com (opens in a new tab)1 sourcePermalink