Saturday, January 29, 2011

ARIZONA, A SOLAR MECCA

An Area of Environmental Concern sign is posted along the road between Searchlight and Lake Havasu. We passed through miles and miles of desert. "Nothing" is what people still euphemistically call desert. We know better now.  Yet, Arizona cities sprawl all over the desert, seemingly without  regard to plowing up giant saguaros, Joshua trees and other rarified plants found here.  Sprawl. We noticed the same thing in Apache Junction when we were there. Planning doesn't seem to exist, like Los Angeles in the 1950's.
Thus it was cheering to see this giant solar electric plant sitting out toward the foothills, in the middle of  desert, quite distant from the highway.  From afar, it looked like a huge lake of blue. As we got closer, you could see the panels sitting out in the sun.

Another huge installation at Blythe, California is being built that will incorporate hydro, wind and solar to benefit Arizona, California and Nevada. Blythe is barely across the border from Arizona. Arizona wind and solar could support all of Arizona's electrical needs plus some of California and Nevada, power needs. It could be known as the power state.

We  parked last night at Lake Havasu, Arizona. Both of us have previously seen the London Bridge and were unimpressed. So, we'll spend no time here until on the way back when Jim will catch up with friends that will be moving through, Ted and Judy Price. Today, we are headed on to Yuma.

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