Pulse Results

LANDTHINK Pulse: Americans Slow to Embrace Solar Energy Development on Public Land

LANDTHINK Pulse: Americans Slow to Embrace Solar Energy Development on Public Land

According to June LANDTHINK Pulse results, 55.32% of respondents feel that the government should not be allowed to put solar energy projects on public land. As part of President Obama’s Climate Action Plan, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) authorizes the permits and licenses for the implementation of solar energy projects on public land. According to their website, the BLM currently manages more than 19 million acres of public land with excellent potential to support solar energy projects, located across six Western states.

Last month, the June Pulse asked: Should the government (Federal Bureau of Land Management) be allowed to put solar energy projects on public land?

In the midst of a growing energy crisis, the staunch opposition by our audience to the placement of solar projects on public land was unanticipated. Our informal online survey revealed that 55.32% of those responding said “NO”, the government should not be allowed to put solar energy projects on public land. Only 44.68% of our audience answered “YES”, indicating the government should be allowed to put solar energy projects on public land. Opponents of the installation of solar projects on what is mostly desert land, argue the negative impact it would have on the environment, including endangered species of wildlife and plants. Additionally, utility-scale solar energy plants require hundreds of millions of gallons of water for use in a processed called “wet cooling”. Proponents of the use of public land for solar energy recognize the advantages such as reducing carbon emissions, its low operational costs and the creation of solar energy jobs.

Here are the final results:

June 2014 LANDTHINK Pulse Results

  • 55.32% said the government SHOULD NOT be allowed to put solar energy projects on public land
  • 44.68% said the government SHOULD be allowed to put solar energy projects on public land

Thank you to everyone who participated and shared the Pulse with friends and connections in the land industry.

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2 Comments

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  • That’s crazy! Of course we should be allowing more renewable energy projects! We have allowed Frakcing to destroy our land and water, it’s time to DEMAND renewable clean energy , everyone wants the best schools, best options for their kids, HOW ABOUT A CLEAN FUTURE???

  • Perhaps these projects would gain broader acceptance had the government not engaged in sleazy illegal tactics such as in Clark County Nevada. Forcing ranchers into bankruptcy via artificial regulation is not an acceptable method of land procurement.

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