Solar: California's new gold rushIt's been called California's second gold rush: the clamor by large solar companies to stake a claim in southern California's open deserts and capture one of its most abundant resources — sunlight. While many cheer the cleaner energy and economic possibilities utility-scale solar development may bring to a job-starved region, some environmentalists, Native Americans and others are critical of the process, saying it's running roughshod over threatened plant and animal species and culturally sensitive areas. The California Energy Commission and federal Department of the Interior have approved eight major solar projects in Southern California since last year, including seven projects in the deserts north and east of the Coachella Valley. All but two of the approved plans utilize largely undeveloped public land managed by the federal Bureau of Land Management. The projects are expected to generate: • Nearly 3,600 megawatts of non-carbon-emitting electricity, enough to power almost 1.8 million homes. • Some 5,500 jobs during construction of the projects, and nearly 1,000 long-term operational jobs. • More than $15.2 million in annual property taxes, and hundreds of millions more in sales taxes as the projects are built. Another eight utility-scale solar projects are also in the permitting pipeline for Riverside and Imperial counties, promising an additional 2,173 megawatts of renewable energy generation. And long-range plans are in the works that could open up millions more public acres to solar development in six western states, with the largest proposed solar energy zone in Riverside County. “California is the national leader in clean energy, and our great state is poised to become the world leader in renewable energy generation,” Gov.Jerry Brown said Monday. Brown earlier this month signed a bipartisan bill to further increase California's renewable energy portfolio standard, now requiring that utilities get one-third of their electricity from renewable sources by 2020, up from 20percent.

It's been called California's second gold rush: the clamor by large solar companies to stake a claim in southern California's open deserts and capture one of its most abundant resources — sunlight.

While many cheer the cleaner energy and economic possibilities utility-scale solar development may bring to a job-starved region, some environmentalists, Native Americans and others are critical of the process, saying it's running roughshod over threatened plant and animal species and culturally sensitive areas.

The California Energy Commission and federal Department of the Interior have approved eight major solar projects in Southern California since last year, including seven projects in the deserts north and east of the Coachella Valley. All but two of the approved plans utilize largely undeveloped public land managed by the federal Bureau of Land Management. The projects are expected to generate:

• Nearly 3,600 megawatts of non-carbon-emitting electricity, enough to power almost 1.8 million homes.

• Some 5,500 jobs during construction of the projects, and nearly 1,000 long-term operational jobs.

• More than $15.2 million in annual property taxes, and hundreds of millions more in sales taxes as the projects are built.

Another eight utility-scale solar projects are also in the permitting pipeline for Riverside and Imperial counties, promising an additional 2,173 megawatts of renewable energy generation. And long-range plans are in the works that could open up millions more public acres to solar development in six western states, with the largest proposed solar energy zone in Riverside County.

“California is the national leader in clean energy, and our great state is poised to become the world leader in renewable energy generation,” Gov.Jerry Brown said Monday.

Brown earlier this month signed a bipartisan bill to further increase California's renewable energy portfolio standard, now requiring that utilities get one-third of their electricity from renewable sources by 2020, up from 20percent.