US nature conservation groups have drawn up a plan to direct solar development on Long Island, in New York state, to areas that minimise impact on biodiversity.
The Long Island Solar Roadmap from The Nature Conservancy and Defenders of Wildlife, demonstrates how Long Island could produce more solar electricity than the region uses by developing solar arrays on “low-impact” sites such as parking lots, capped landfills, and commercial building rooftops.
The roadmap highlighted that these solar installations can be deployed without “negatively affecting” the region’s natural areas, forests, or prime farmlands.
Public opinion research, conducted in 2019 for the report, found overwhelming support for solar energy, with 92% of surveyed Long Islanders in favour of solar development in their communities.
The roadmap reflects the input of a diverse group representing state, local, and county government, the solar industry, farmers, environmental and community organisations, the electric utility, businesses and academic institutions.
These members have worked together since 2018 to design a roadmap for accelerating smart siting of mid- to large-scale solar power on Long Island.
The resource identifies existing barriers for low-impact solar development as well as the benefits of expanding solar in the region, detailing eight strategies to advance renewable energy development that maximize benefits to the region with minimal environmental impact.