Defenders of Wildlife

This grant would support Defenders of Wildlife’s work with the solar industry, utilities, and conservation organizations to implement a plan for solar energy development on public lands that has been newly adopted by the U.S. Department of the Interior. The organization has three goals for this project: (1) to use Nevada’s Dry Lake Solar Energy Zone as a model for similar zones around the West; (2) to develop a new landscape-based habitat mitigation model to offset the impacts of industrial-scale renewable projects on wildlife; and (3) to ensure that renewable development applications submitted before the Department of the Interior adopted its new plan conform with habitat protection standards.

This grant would support Defenders of Wildlife’s work with the solar industry, utilities, and conservation organizations to implement a public lands solar energy development plan newly adopted by the Department of the Interior. Defenders would work to ensure support for solar projects proposed in zones created by the new plan in the California desert and focus on developing an environmental and financial mitigation plan in Nevada's Dry Lake solar zone.

Rapid approval and construction of solar energy power plants that are sited to minimize impacts to the environment is a key priority for Defenders of Wildlife. This grant would support Defenders’ work with the solar industry, utilities, and conservation organizations to ensure the Department of the Interior issues a comprehensive plan for solar energy development on public lands by the end of 2012.