Understanding Scale, Conserving Land

Watts & Acres | If we maximize deployment of energy efficiency programs, rooftop solar installations and other local clean energy measures, how much large-scale wind, solar and geothermal generation and transmission will be needed, to replace retired coal plants? How much land, and what kinds of environmental impact will this renewable generation development require?

WCEAWestern Clean Energy Advocates’s Clean Energy Vision is intended to help build shared understanding of the scale and dynamics of the development that transition to a cleaner and more secure energy future require.”

Coming soon to this page:

1. WRAThe purpose of the WRA Assessment is to provide land, wildlife and environmental advocate communities and the public with a feel for the magnitude of the renewable generating capacity and acres of land footprint needed to meet climate goals so that are equipped to weigh the net land, wildlife and resource benefits of developing central station renewables. “Watts & Acres” paper (to be published in January);
2. Kevin Sweeney’s PowerPoint slideshow;
3. RETICalifornia Renewable Energy Transmission Initiative www.energy.ca.gov/reti/California Energy Commission Net Short calculation