Thanks for that update Rick. I'll stop my worrying. See you in June. Sent from my iPhone 4 Bob Brown On May 9, 2012, at 8:22 AM, Rick Dickinson <rtd@xxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote: > On Wed, 09 May 2012 07:37:51 -0700, Bob Brown <cineflex@xxxxxxx> wrote: > >> Approved until 2017? Have the plans for a solar farm on the lake bed in the >> near future gone away or was that just a bad rumor? > > > Bob, > > First, a disclaimer: This is what I've gathered from conversations with a lot > of different people over the last few years. I don't have any guarantees in > writing, but I'm pretty confident that my conclusion is sound, even if I > might be slightly off on a few of the minor details. > > So, here's my personal opinion -- take it for what it's worth: > > The solar plans for the lake bed are basically on hold indefinitely; I > personally doubt they'll ever happen, at this point. > > The entire solar project was contingent upon the transmission lines in the > area being able to handle the increased power transmission requirements. The > existing ones simply aren't up to the task. > > There is (was?) an unrelated project, known as "Green Path" (I hate these > deliberately misleading and manipulative names), which would have put in a > whole new set of high-power transmission lines, running from the 10 freeway > near Palm Springs, through the 29 Palms area, and all along Highway 247 from > Yucca Valley to Lucerne Valley, and then along Highway 18 from Lucerne Valley > through Apple Valley & Victorville to Interstate 15. This proposed project > met with, shall we say, vociferous opposition from the residents whose > neighborhoods would be affected. Basically, the project's dead in the water. > > Unless and until the "Green Path" or something like it happens, there isn't > enough transmission capacity anywhere near Lucerne Valley to support a power > generating station, solar or otherwise, at Lucerne Dry Lake. > > We're safe, for now. > > Cheers, > > - Rick Dickinson > >