Seemed like a pretty fair look at one piece of the puzzle of where to put the large scale solar we need, while reducing use of water that basically doesn't exist anymore if it ever did. At the conclusion someone makes it sound like nut trees will be ripped out; I don't know if that's mostly the case. I'd prefer the fields of exported hay and alfalfa be fallowed. Can grow hay in Minnesota not almonds.
Get wagged senseless. I'm all for it.
The alfalfa stats came to mind when I read this story linked in the "Western Energy News" JT curates. https://calmatters.org/environment/water/2025/09/solar-fallowed-farmland-wicks
Seemed like a pretty fair look at one piece of the puzzle of where to put the large scale solar we need, while reducing use of water that basically doesn't exist anymore if it ever did. At the conclusion someone makes it sound like nut trees will be ripped out; I don't know if that's mostly the case. I'd prefer the fields of exported hay and alfalfa be fallowed. Can grow hay in Minnesota not almonds.
And for those who cringe at the lithium being used to "decarbonize the night" progress seems to be happening on using sodium carbonate derivatives instead: https://www.canarymedia.com/articles/batteries/peak-energy-sodium-cool-first-installation
Cute pups, another intense data dump, AND Richard Shelton. Much appreciated, Jonathan. Enjoy the canine and feline energy!