Solar Episodes
Exploring the impact of large-scale solar development on desert ecosystems, communities, and public lands, as well as alternative approaches to renewable energy that minimize environmental harm.
Jan. 29, 2025
S4E3: Ivanpah Solar to shut down
Episode Summary: In this extensive episode of "90 Miles from Needles," host Chris Clarke dives into the controversial Ivanpah Solar Electric Generating Station project in the Mojave Desert. He examines the ecological impacts…
Dec. 24, 2024
S3E37: BLM Cozies Up To Renewable Energy Companies
Join Chris Clarke as he discusses apparent collusion between Nevada's BLM staff and energy companies with journalist Jimmy Tobias. In this enlightening episode, explore the controversy surrounding the development of Greenlin…
Sept. 3, 2024
S3E26: The New Western Solar Plan: A Disaster for Desert Ecosystems?
Chris Clarke delves into the controversial final programmatic environmental impact statement for the western Solar Plan, revealing the potential ecological damage from vast solar developments across 11 states. Despite person…
Aug. 20, 2024
S3E24: The Fight to Protect the Pahrump Valley
The rise of renewable energy projects, particularly solar farms, in desert regions has sparked concern regarding their impact on native wildlife, including the desert tortoises. Solar panels cover vast tracts of land to capt…
Jan. 23, 2024
S3E2: Biden's Plan to Turn the Desert into a Solar Energy Complex
The Draft Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement for Utility-Scale Solar energy development is shaping the future of solar in the western United States. In this episode, host Chris Clarke explores the different alternat…
March 19, 2023
S2E5: The Problems with Desert Solar
The US Interior Department is rethinking the ways it has managed big corporate solar on public lands, and we have opinions. Chris pontificates based on his many years of covering public lands renewable energy as a recovering…
Oct. 11, 2022
S1E19: Shannon Salter Fights to Save the Desert
Solar in the built environment could meet America's need for electrical power. But still the desert is in the crosshairs. Public lands with intact habitat are coming under extreme threat because of the Inflation Reduction Ac…
Jan. 1, 2022
Welcome to 90 Miles from Needles! Our inaugural episode
In this first episode, Chris and Alicia head out to Sand Draw, a beautiful and vibrant bit of desert dry wash woodland in the Mojave Desert that almost became an industrial sacrifice zone for the energy industry. It's a good…