MBCA was very disappointed the County denied our appeal and approved the Sienna Solar Project over the voices of Lucerne Valley and Morongo Basin residents.

The County has chosen to place the development of this massive solar project over the wishes and concerns of its rural residents. 

When RECE 4.10 was adopted in 2019 by the Supervisors, the broadly written “loophole” of Section 3 was inserted and became the green light for this project.

RECE 4.10 was intended to prohibit industrial solar in rural neighborhoods, but the “loophole” allowed Sienna to be relocated and enlarged beyond the original plan accepted before the adoption of the RECE.

MBCA continues to call for the adoption of reliable and resilient roof-top solar in the built environment and appropriately sited utility scale solar to address our growing climate crisis.   

Highway 247 is officially a Caltrans Scenic Highway after years of effort! 

It is deeply ironic that the appeal of the Sienna project became the public venue for revealing this status. This 1800-acre solar farm and its miles of transmission lines will diminish the very qualities that earned 247 its designation and dilute the economic and cultural benefits of this rare designation. 

MBCA is calling for long-range planning and actions by the County to protect Scenic 247 and the High Desert’s unique environment.