A November 2 news story by Sammy Roth of the Los Angeles Times provides a comprehensive overview of the many issues and viewpoints swirling around California's Net Energy Metering (NEM) program. MBCA's earlier news stories of May 8 and June 4 provide our history of involvement as we have signed on to Solar Rights Alliance letters seeking both local and distributed renewable energy commitment and climate justice goals. (If you cannot access the article, here is a text-only version.)

The Aratina Solar Project is proposed for a portion of undisturbed Mojave Desert in Kern County near the town of Boron. The land is mostly undisturbed Joshua Tree woodland, and its destruction for this project has numerous serious consequences for the ecology of the area and also would remove carbon-sequestering soil. MBCA's letter outlines the consequences and asks the Kern County Board of Supervisors not to approve the project. 

San Bernardino County now provides an online Short Term Rental Map for viewing permitted short-term rentals (STRs) in unincorporated areas of the County. While permitted and well-managed STRs provide income for local residents and businesses, the effects on quality of life due to the escalating number of such properties that are unpermitted and/or not well-managed have been increasing. 

The proposed Oberon Solar Project, to be located on undisturbed BLM land near Desert Center, has drawn a great deal of concern by numerous groups in addition to MCBA. While in a Development Focus Area (DFA) proposed under California's Desert Renewable Energy Conservation Plan, the proponents are asking for amendments that contradict the Plan’s underlying rationale. In short, as MBCA’s Pat Flanagan writes in the MBCA letter, “It is not the role of the DRECP to bend to accommodate a project proposal. It is the project proponent’s role to accommodate the DRECP.”

MBCA's letter to Governor Newsom outlines the growing environmental damage and safety issues accruing from the proliferation of illegal marijuana grows in the Mojave Desert and other rural areas of the state. Our request is for the Governor to convene a special session of the legislature to upgrade the current misdemeanor status in order to address the escalating problem.

From the weekly newsletter The Revelator, published by the Center for Biological Diversity, here is a list of recent news stories focused on the negative effects of light pollution. 

• Young Clownfish Likely to Die Faster When Exposed to Artificial Light, Study Finds
• Noise and Light Pollution Changes Which Species of Birds Visit Our Backyards
• Fireflies Need Dark Nights for Their Summer Light Shows – Here’s How You Can Help
• Turning Off Half of City Lights at Night Could Cut Bird Mortality By Up to 60 Percent
• Dark Sky Havens: Where Can I Find One?
• Orbital Debris Creates a New Problem: Light Pollution

A recently-published research project by UC Irvine scientists reviewed 34 years of satellite data to analyze vegetation changes in the Sonoran Desert and nearby southern California mountains. They found a "widespread decline in perennial vegetation cover," that is, a significant reduction in even the hardiest desert plants. Researcher Stijn Hantson commented that "They're (desert plants) already so badly beaten by drought or heat that they're at the brink of existence." Read more in the Desert Sun article or view the research study, which includes a "Plain Language Summary." 

The deadline for comments in support of the revised Light Trespass Ordinance for San Bernardino County is Friday, June 18. Send them to: [email protected]

We have revised our recent News item on this subject with new video footage. The presentation video (one hour) now includes post-presentation interaction of our presenters with the Commissioners, and we now have the full video of the meeting including timestamps for public comment via video from the Joshua Tree Government Center and for an oppositional presentation by a Newberry Springs resident. All these links and information are here.

The Net Metering bill AB 1139 that would reduce benefits for home solar failed to pass a June 2 California Assembly vote. MBCA joined many organizations in March to oppose the bill. Several renewable energy industry news groups have provided information and commentary on the bill and the vote, including PV Tech, Solar Power World, and PV Magazine. While it is "off the table" for now, the bill could be reintroduced in January 2022.