SNAPP

Solar, People, and Wildlife

  • How can biophysical and socioeconomic evidence be leveraged to design and deploy utility-scale solar in a way that improves impacts on people and wildlife in the arid lands of the Pacific Northwest?

Utility-scale solar photovoltaics are one of the most affordable and deployable energy sources available. Carbon-free resources are urgently needed to replace fossil fuels and meet rising energy demands. However, the potential impacts of solar on ecosystems, Tribes, and local communities have caused conflicts.

We will develop practical strategies for improving utility-scale solar energy across the arid lands of Idaho, Oregon, and Washington by convening representatives from the renewable industry, and government agencies, Tribes, conservation groups, and research institutions to investigate complex factors shaping solar deployment in our landscape.

Team Status:

  • New

Goals

  • Develop a comparative analysis across Idaho, Oregon, and Washington evaluating the challenges for communities that engage in existing planning and permitting processes, gaps in process or information that could improve social or wildlife outcomes, and recommendations for governance reforms.
  • Evaluate existing solar siting tools and data sets against state and local requirements and industry practices to determine where tools, data, and requirements can be better aligned to promote improved socio-ecological outcomes.
  • Co-develop best practices for responsible solar projects that address the needs of climate, conservation, and communities, and inform state, local, and Tribal planning requirements and industry project design.

 

 

 

 

Teams

Leaders

David Trimbach

  • Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife

Stephanie Lenhart

  • Boise State University

Taylor Ganz

  • The Nature Conservancy

Members

Diane Brandt

  • Renewables Northwest

Casey MacLean

  • Renewables Northwest

Eric Schauber

  • Renewable Energy Wildlife Institute

Kyle Maki

  • Idaho Wildlife Federation

Sophie Gilbert

  • The Property and Environment Research Center (PERC)

Loran Shallenberger

  • Silicon Ranch

Nick de Vries

  • Silicon Ranch

Jacob Goodspeed

  • Silicon Ranch

Karl Kosciuch

  • Tetra Tech

Jamie Wilson

  • Invenergy

Dennis Daw

  • Upper Snake River Tribes Foundation

Lauren Noeker

  • Upper Snake River Tribes Foundation

Maddie Nolan

  • Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife

Jorden Smith

  • Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife

Zoe Hanley

  • The Nature Conservancy

Max Lambert

  • The Nature Conservancy

Maia Murphy-Williams

  • The Nature Conservancy

Advisors

Peter Gower

  • The Nature Conservancy

Jillian Hanson

  • The Nature Conservancy
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