State's cattlemen wary of solar uses on federal land

Nevada's ranchers are beginning to worry that large-scale development solar-energy facilities in the state could pressure the cattle industry.

The problem: Solar projects on federal lands potentially could remove hundreds of thousands of acres of land from availability for grazing leases, said Ron Cerri, an Orovada rancher and president of the Nevada Cattlemen's Association.

And when solar panels are used to heat water into steam to drive turbines, the solar industry also could place pressure on water supplies, the cattlemen's association worries. Air-cooled photovoltaic facilities that produce electricity directly from sunlight require little water.

The federal government owns 84.5 percent of the land in Nevada, and grazing leases on federal lands provide a cornerstone for most of the state's ranches.

Some of that federally owned land, particularly in southern Nevada, also is under study for solar-generation facilities. The Bureau of Land Management says a typical 250-megawatt solar plant would occupy roughly two square miles.

Land occupied by solar facilities probably wouldn't be available for other uses because solar panels sit fairly close to the ground, and vegetation is removed so it won't interfere with collection of sunlight, Cerri said.

"We like to see federal land managed in multiple-use concepts," he said, noting that the cattlemen's association also supports the need for American energy independence.

Patrick Gubbins, a BLM executive in Reno, acknowledged that no easy answers are available as the agency begins to analyze proposed permits for solar and other renewable-energy facilities on federal lands. The agency this year gave priority to review of applications for renewable-energy facilities.

But he said the BLM's process is designed to weigh demands on federal lands that range from recreation to ranching to renewable power.

"We're really anxious to hear from all the segments of the public," Gubbins said.

Cattlemen also are keeping a close watch on proposed electric-transmission lines that would tie far-flung renewable-energy facilities into the region's electric grid. Cerri said some of those transmission lines might dissect grazing allotments, creating some management headaches for ranchers.

But he said ranchers don't have substantial concerns about geothermal plants, which typically operate on a small footprint, or wind-generation facilities.

"A cow can eat around a wind turbine," he said.