The photographs below are meant to be a short visual introduction of the significant impacts that will result from the development of industrial renewable energy on public lands.

Visual Impacts Adjacent to National Parks

Coxcomb Mountains of Joshua Tree National Park, seen 10 miles from the proposed First Solar, Desert Sunlight site, 4,000 acres.

Funeral Mountains of Death Valley National Park, seen 4 miles from the proposed Solar Millennium Site, Mojave Desert, Nevada, 4,000 acres.

Proposed 4,000 acre site of Ivanpah Solar Electric Generating System as seen from Clark Mountain, Mojave National Preserve.

Clark Mountain, Mojave National Preserve seen from about ten miles from the proposed Ivanpah Solar Electric Generating System, Mojave Desert, California, 4,000 acres.

Wheeler Peak, Great Basin National Park as seen from the proposed 8,000 acre Spring Valley Wind Energy Project, Great Basin Desert, Nevada.

Bighorn Sheep

Bighorn Sheep, Calico Project, Cady Mountains, Mojave Desert, California, 8,500 acres. Photo: David Martz

Biological Soil Crust

Cryptobiotic Soil Crust, Ivanpah Valley, California, 4,000 acres.

Cryptobiotic Soil Crusts are very capable of sequestering C02. First Solar, Desert Sunlight Site, Chuckwalla Valley, California, 4,000 acres.

Desert Tortoise

Desert tortoise burrow, Nextlight Silver State Photovoltaic Project, Mojave Desert Nevada, 4,000 acres.

Desert tortoise, Calico Project, Mojave Desert, California, 8,000 acres.

Desert tortoise, Ivanpah solar Electric Generating System, Ivanpah Valley, Mojave Desert, California, 4,000 acres.

Wildlife

Horned lark nest, Calico Site, California, 8,000 acres.

Mojave fringe-toed lizard, proposed Calico Site, Mojave Desert, California, 8,000 acres.

Western banded gecko, proposed Nextlight site, Mojave Desert, Nevada, 4,000 acres.

Plants

Mammalaria cactus, proposed First Solar Desert Sunlight site, 4,000 acres, Chuckwalla Valley, California. Photo: Donna and Larry Charpied

Desert gold pollinator, First Solar Desert Sunlight Site, 4,000 acres Chuckwalla Valley, California. Photo: Donna and Larry Charpied

Rare Foxtail cactus and Palo Verde tree, First Solar Desert Sunlight site, Chuckwalla Valley, California, 4,000 acres.

Desert lilly and Sand verbena in Chuckwalla Valley near proposed Palen Solar Power project. Photo: Donna and Larry Charpied

Brittlebush and Lupine, proposed First Solar Desert Sunlight site, Chuckwalla Valley, California.

Phacelia on proposed Calico site. California Desert.

Calico flowers. Calico site, Mojave Desert, California.

Old Growth Mojave Desert,
Old Barrel cactus and Mojave yucca on proposed Ivanpah Solar Electric Generating SYstem site.

Sand verbena and Primrose wildflower bloom in Chuckwalla Valley near the proposed 4,000 acre Palen Solar Power Project.

Alternatives

Solar panels placed above developed parking lot, Las Vegas, Nevada.

Rooftops utilized for renewable enrgy, southern California.

Land Use

Hector Road was closed at the time Tessera, applicant for the Calico Solar Project, began the proposal. Mojave Desert, California. Closure of this road has denied access to local land owners.

Visual Impacts, Flash Glare

Visual Impact-Flash Glare reflection event, Nevada Solar One parabolic trough mirror power plant, Boulder City, Nevada, Mojave Desert.

Dark Sky Impacts

Full Moon, proposed Solar Millennium Site, Mojave Desert, Nevada 4,000 acres.

Moon rise, sunset, Calico Project, Mojave Desert, California, 8,500 acres.

Lightning, summer storm, Proposed Calico Project, Mojave Desert, California, 8,500 acres. Photo: Joe Orawczyk

Sunset, proposed Ivanpah Solar Electric Generating System, Mojave Desert, California, 4,000 acres.

Washes and Floods

Receding flash flood, Nextlight Silver State Photovoltaic Project, Mojave Desert, Nevada, 4,000 acres. Many solar projects are proposed to be placed in such washes.