Via Basin and Range Watch’s Laura Cunningham, the Independent Science Advisors draft report to the Desert Renewable Energy Conservation Plan for the State of California. Laura says:

You can’t get better scientists, and they recommend good things, like not placing any solar projects on desert ecosystems, not to ever translocate tortoises, don’t block sand corridors, etc. …
Good synopsis of the key ecological values of the deserts and how renewable energy facilities should be sited to avoid further harm to them.

DRECP ISA Report Public Draft August 06 2010

1. 
   Joy Hughes 2010 09 07 at 8:41:27 am

   Chris, I wanted to call your attention to the Solar Gardens movement - this is a way to do community based energy development by allowing people to own their own panels in a neighborhood array.  Look at http://www.solargardens.org - I hope we can engage your area in organizing one!  (They have been very popular in areas threatened by transmission lines or big solar).