Where should solar projects go in Washington state?

Not everyone loves renewable energy development, but a new project in Washington state, and an upcoming project in Oregon, hope to pinpoint places where building solar farms should cause less conflict.

More renewable energy projects will soon pop up around the Northwest, so Oregon and Washington can meet their carbon-free electricity goals. But where should all those projects go? The Washington State University Energy Program has developed new maps to help answer that question.

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Picking the right places can help protect wildlife, farmers, ranchers, and nearby communities. The maps show places where solar farms would probably cause the least amount of conflict.

“It's important that we think through the consequences, the long term impacts, so we don't end up repeating some of the mistakes that we've made in the past," said Dani Madrone with American Farmland Trust.

Madrone helped draw up the maps. She says the groups involved tried to learn from problems with other energy projects, like dams.

Information on tribal land isn’t included in the maps, which tribes say won’t replace on-the-ground surveys.

Courtney Flatt with Northwest Public Broadcasting has the full story here.

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