Extending Renewable Energy Resources While Protecting Wildlife | ArcNews | Summer 2022

Tackling the immense challenge of climate change will require enormous investments in renewable energy sources, such as wind and solar power. But building out utility-scale wind parks and solar farms requires land—and a lot of it. A recent study from Princeton University estimated that for the United States to reach net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, it will require 228,000 square miles of land. That’s an area larger than the states of Colorado and New Mexico combined! So where can all these wind and solar facilities go? And how can they be installed without harming wildlife habitats and other treasured places? Geospatial science and Esri technology provide a good place to start. The Nature Conservancy (TNC) has created a mapping tool with ArcGIS Pro called Site Renewables Right. The online resource is designed to help companies and communities identify the most promising places in the central United States to develop renewable energy while preserving wildlife and habitats. Sit

Tackling the immense challenge of climate change will require enormous investments in renewable energy sources, such as wind and solar power. But building out utility-scale wind parks and solar farms requires land—and a lot of it. A recent study from Princeton University estimated that for the United States to reach net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, it will require 228,000 square miles of land. That’s an area larger than the states of Colorado and New Mexico combined! So where can all these wind and solar facilities go? And how can they be installed without harming wildlife habitats a