Beatty reacts to solar proposals

A special subcommittee is being formed by the Beatty Town Advisory Board to deal with the issue of proposed solar energy projects in the area.

The subcommittee will be made up of a maximum of ten members. The board will be accepting letters of interest from July 15 to July 30 from residents who would like to serve on the committee.

As stated at the advisory board meeting, the subcommittee is charged with monitoring “solar land use proposals, projects, interest and other activities related to land use for solar projects in and around Beatty.”

It is to “garner information from various resources relating to solar projects around the country,” and to “leverage contacts to discover details about proposed projects.”

The subcommittee is also to “evaluate the compatibility, feasibility, soundness and economic impact of proposed projects.”

The subcommittee is to report its activities to the BTAB at the board’s first meeting each month “in a time frame that will allow for a decision to comment or other action that may be needed to be taken by the advisory board.”

The subcommittee is also allowed to conduct “any other activities deemed necessary and agreed upon by the subcommittee membership,” and it is free to establish its own meeting operation, attendance and documentation requirements.”

Board member Melody Koivu was appointed as the board’s liaison with the subcommittee.

The board dealt with three solar project proposals in the July 12 meeting, in addition to the two considered at its last meeting, agreeing to once again send letters in opposition to them all.

One of the the proposed projects is about five miles south of Beatty, adjacent to the proposed Beatty Energy Center project. The other two are further away, but still drew objections from residents in attendance at the meeting.

Some of the objections had to do with possible interference with off-road trails in the area, which are key to Beatty’s plans for a growing outdoor recreation economy. This includes possible obstruction of connecting off-highway roads and trails between Pahrump, Amargosa Valley, and Beatty.

Residents also objected to the disruption of scenic views, including those enjoyed by tourists visiting Rhyolite Ghost Town and Death Valley National Park.

Kevin Emmerich, co-founder of Great Basin Watch, who worked for 20 years as a ranger in Death Valley, said, “I’ve known for years how important that view and that town (Rhyolite) are.”

His wife, Laura Cunningham, the other co-founder, said she moved to Beatty 20 years ago for the natural environment, and that if the projects were built she would leave.

She said that the Jackass Flat project, proposed to be built next to the northwest intersection of Highway 95 and Highway 373 in Amargosa Valley, would still have a negative impact because “it could still be seen.”

Emmerich and Cunningham warned against being courted by gifts from solar developers.

Another concern was the “ripping out of vegetation” for the construction of solar projects with a possible increase in dust storms.

Rupert Bragg-Smith was concerned that the building of solar projects near 400 acres of land that he owns south of Beatty would greatly decrease the value of his property. He said that such projects “do not appeal to people.”

Karl Olson, developer of off-highway activities around Beatty said that developers need to be required to supply better maps of the projects “so that people can really understand what they’re dealing with.”

Resident Teresa Sullivan suggested that it might be possible to negotiate with developers regarding such things as the location of projects.

Linda Bullen, legal counsel for the solar developers, emphasized “how early all of this is.” She also said that developers were willing to come to Beatty and give presentations. She said that developers had to rush to get proposals in when the opportunity arose because the first proposals would get first consideration.

Bullen, along with Olson and Board Treasurer Erika Gerling, said that the most responsive agency to deal with in voicing concerns was the Bureau of Land Management.

The board voted to send letters of opposition regarding all three proposals, with Gerling saying that the letters’ “tone” would be individually adjusted.

Richard Stephens is a freelance reporter living in Beatty.