Resources Legacy Fund

The California Desert Solar and Land Conservation Working Group (Working Group) was initiated a year ago by the Resource Legacy Fund and is comprised of representatives of solar energy companies, the electric utility sector, conservation groups, environmental groups and philanthropic entities. Its mission is to "protect ecosystems, landscapes, and species while supporting timely development of solar energy resources in the California desert." This grant will support a second year of activities for the Working Group as it seeks to find broad-based support in the coming year for between 2000 - 4000 megawatts of new solar projects in the California desert. Many of these will be so-called "fast track" projects, and are positioned to qualify for federal grants which expire at the end of 2010. Over the longer term, the Working Group will seek to find common ground between solar developers and conservation groups on a set of shared standards regarding where and how solar projects should be developed. Ideally they will work with key federal and state executives to implement these common standards.