Cost parity with fossil fuels has long been the holy grail of the renewable energy industry. When shale exploration in the United States began producing abundant natural gas, prices began falling and didn’t pull the rip cord before hitting ten-year lows.
Big areas of habitat occupied by Agassiz’s desert tortoise and other at-risk species have potential for large-scale solar-energy developments. Peer-reviewed studies are needed, says the United States Geological Survey — but so is a concerted campaign of cooperation and public outreach.
