Bishop - Sunshine to help solve Owens Lake dust issues?

Because Inyo County has more days of sunshine than almost any other place in the world, the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power is focusing on its local property, hoping to kick off a solar energy program.
Though no specific sites have been officially selected for construction, the LADWP is looking at two areas, one between Independence and Lone Pine and a second on Owens Lake, where the department hopes it can kill two birds with one stone by erecting solar panels.
“We hope there is a future for solar power on Owens Lake and we can use that as part of our dust mitigation,” LADWP Head of Water Operations Martin Adams said.
In total, there are more than 100 square miles of lake bed on the Owens Lake. The LADWP uses between 90,000 and 95,000 acre-feet of water each year on dust control, a mandate handed down by the state.
Since the LADWP began working on dust control measures on the lake it has been working to find a way to keep dust down while conserving water.
Solar, Adams said, could be a “win-win” for dust control and water conservation.

The Owens Dry Lake has been a dust problem for the LADWP since the state mandated mitigation. Now the department has a plan to construct solar panels on portions of the lake that it says would keep dust down and generate much needed energy for Los Angeles. File photo

Currently the LADWP is conducting wind tunnel tests to see how well solar panels will work as a wind break on the lake. The department hopes to construct a test site for solar panels on 616 acres of the southern portion of the Owens Lake. Though 616 acres have been identified, Adams said the actual panels would be located on about 320 acres.
Adams pointed out that the LADWP already has transmission lines on the Owens Lake, so pumping energy that is generated by the panels off the lake is a non-issue. He also said that the Public Utilities Commission and Southern California Edison have already expressed support for the proposal.
“Everyone agrees this is a good idea,” Adams said. “Our plan is to create good habitat areas and the money from the solar power can fund habitat.”
Mike Prather of the Eastern Sierra Audubon Society said that he supports the proposed solar project.
“Audubon is committed to saving the water on the Owens Lake and there is a huge opportunity at Owens Lake, and solar got thrown in there and it looks like a good idea,” Prather said, urging the LADWP to move forward quickly, because, as he said, as the Los Angeles government changes, so do views on projects such as this.
“The Water Commission may change. I feel a sense of urgency,” Prather said.
The Board of Supervisors expressed enthusiastic support for the project, but warned that there will be challenges in constructing the project, and, if the solar panels prove to be effective and the department decides to build solar panels on a large scale, the LADWP would have to consider the county’s population, housing, hiring local contractors and investing in the community.
“It’s going to be an interesting experiment,” said Forth District Supervisor Marty Fortney. “I’m curious to see if this will work for dust mitigation because you guys are going to have to build one hell of an anchor system to keep those things from blowing away.”
Adams said the department is looking at a series of installation plans that include low fencing around the solar panel area and between rows of panels to help block the wind and dust.
Second District Supervisor Susan Cash asked how solar power on the Owens Lake would benefit Inyo County.
Adams said there were talks that included suggestions of energy discounts for the county. He also said that the LADWP would hire within the county for construction of the project, stimulating the local economy.
Also, “there is definitely a tax base benefit,” Adams said.
But the Owens Lake isn’t the only place the LADWP is considering for solar energy.
Adams said the LADWP is considering solar projects east of the Owens River between Lone Pine and Independence.
“We need to look at transmission capabilities, and the impact of the view shed there, and creating a buffer area from the river, and we’re trying to get some kind of consensus that this is a good idea,” Adams said. “There are also a couple little areas around Laws that have some potential.”
The LADWP has not yet conducted an Environmental Impact Report on either the Owens Lake or valley floor projects, and is still in the planning stages.
Adams promised that as the LADWP moves on the two proposals, “we will not be working in a vacuum” and the Board of Supervisors will be included in talks.