Renowned Environmentalist Bill McKibben Sparks Debate Over Santa Fe Solar Project
Santa Fe, NM – A contentious debate is raging in Santa Fe County over the proposed Rancho Viejo Solar project, a large-scale renewable energy and battery storage facility poised to significantly contribute to the city’s energy needs. The project, spearheaded by energy giant AES Corp., aims to generate 96 megawatts of power and 45 megawatts of battery storage, enough to power all of Santa Fe’s residences. While proponents tout the project’s potential to combat climate change and advance the state’s clean energy goals, a vocal opposition group has emerged, citing concerns about fire risks associated with lithium-ion battery storage and potential negative impacts on property values.
Adding fuel to the fire, renowned environmentalist Bill McKibben, author of one of the first books on climate change, recently penned an op-ed in The Santa Fe New Mexican expressing his staunch support for the Rancho Viejo project. McKibben, who visited Santa Fe last fall, criticized local opponents, characterizing their concerns as misinformation and arguing that the project’s benefits far outweigh any perceived risks. He drew a parallel with opposition to renewable energy projects elsewhere in the country, often fueled by the fossil fuel industry, but expressed surprise to find similar resistance coming from self-proclaimed liberals in Santa Fe.
The project’s opponents, primarily residents of the Eldorado area near the proposed site, remain unconvinced. They argue that the risks of a battery fire, particularly in a fire-prone region, are too significant to ignore and express skepticism about current fire suppression technology. Camilla Brom, a local resident who founded the grassroots organization New Mexicans for Responsible Renewable Energy, dismissed McKibben’s op-ed as offensive and insists her group’s concerns are rooted in community well-being, not political ideology. She and others maintain that the county’s fire-prone environment and proximity to residential areas make the project a risky endeavor, despite assurances from AES about the safety of the proposed technology.
McKibben, however, argues that the greater risk lies in inaction on climate change. In an interview, he stressed the urgency of transitioning to renewable energy, emphasizing the particular vulnerability of the Southwest to the impacts of a warming climate. He called on affluent, older Americans, a demographic often involved in opposing such projects, to recognize the necessity of embracing change for the benefit of future generations. Citing his experience with similar opposition to renewable energy projects in his home state of Vermont, McKibben emphasized the importance of local acceptance of these initiatives for a successful transition to a cleaner energy future.
The Clean Energy Coalition of Santa Fe County, a group with over 1,000 members, has spearheaded the opposition and has raised significant funds to fight the project. They recently filed an appeal of the County Planning Commission’s approval of the project, ensuring that the debate will continue to play out in public hearings before the County Commission later this summer. Coalition members argue that the county lacks adequate planning for such a large-scale facility and express concern about the potential for environmental damage and disruption to the community. They point to past fire incidents at AES facilities, including a blaze at a battery storage facility in Arizona, as evidence of the potential risks.
While acknowledging the need for clean energy, coalition members question the suitability of this particular project and location. They argue that alternative approaches, such as smaller, distributed renewable energy projects, would be less risky and more beneficial to the community. They also express distrust in AES, citing the company’s track record and the potential for profit-driven decisions to override safety concerns. The debate underscores the complex challenges of transitioning to renewable energy, balancing the urgent need to address climate change with the concerns of local communities about the potential risks and impacts of large-scale projects.