Media Silent on Biden Admin Plan to Use Public Land For Solar Farms

News outlets denounce Trump’s plans to use public land in order to support energy projects

A Biden administration energy project has been mostly ignored by the media. One conservationist claimed that it would be. “armageddon” Public lands. It’s a far cry from how reporters covered similar proposals under former president Donald Trump.

In December 2022, Deb Haaland, Interior Secretary, announced that her agency would speed up plans to build solar energy plants across the country. tens of thousands There are 11 Western states with untouched public land. This announcement has not received much national attention except for occasional reports that the Biden administration expands renewable energy production.

National outlets were far more critical of Trump’s land use proposals. “Where Will Trump’s War on Public Lands End?” The New Yorker wondered 2017 2017 New York Times headline lamented This is a “Trump Drilling Plan Threatens 9 Million Acres of Sage Grouse Habitat.” This coverage gap is indicative of a bias in the media, not only against Trump but also for green energies.

The Biden administration’s plan would expand on an Obama-era agreement that spurred solar developments in six southwestern states, some of which piqued the ire of locals and environmentalists. The Bureau of Land Management now wants to relax the initial deal’s development restrictions and expand solar developments into five additional states.

Nevada conservationist, who spoke to Washington Free Beacon on condition of anonymity said that a planned 26,000 acre solar farm in the state’s desert has residents worried. “It’s armageddon for those of us who live out here,” He said that large solar farms were an eyesore and a blinding sight for residents nearby.

Mainstream media outlets generally embrace renewable energy projects favored by Democrats and progressive activists. These groups demonize fossil fuelsThey overlook the potential downsides of green power projects, such as solar farms. Building utility-scale solar factories requires taking over vast swaths of landWhile “farms” The use of solar panels can disrupt animal grazing patterns, kill small wildlife and damage vegetation. Around 6,000 birds are incinerated Each year, the heat-reflecting solar panels of one project in the Mojave desert are used to power the entire system.

California is the most obvious example of the negatives of solar energy. It draws a lot of attention. roughly a third Its electricity comes from renewable sources. Californians have witnessed electricity prices rise dramatically. nearly 70 percent since 2010As the state began its embrace of solar energy, California homeowners pay almost 83 percent more for their homes than the average home elsewhere in the United States. Last summer saw rolling blackouts for the first time in 20 yearsAs the heat wave brought on heatwave-related stress, the grid began to buckle under the pressure of air conditioning.

There are many problems with solar panels. These panels are often made from non-renewable rare earth minerals. Some units are made in China, where they are reliant on rare earth minerals. forced labor. The discarded solar panels also emit toxic waste. California’s landfills.

The Bureau of Land Management has not responded to any requests for comment.