A California-based renewable energy company plans to clear thousands of protected Joshua trees in the Mojave Desert to make way for a solar project that will generate electricity for nearly 180,000 homes in coastal neighborhoods instead of the impacted communities, according to reports. The Los Angeles Times reported that the company, Avantus, is planning to build the Aratina Solar Project on 2,300 acres near Boron and Desert Lake, California, two towns in Kern County.
The projects also affect nearby small communities, which lack the political power to stop such projects. The Times spoke to a person briefed on the project, who reportedly declined to be named because they were not at liberty to discuss the Aratina project. The person told the publication that crews are scheduled to begin clearing the Aratina Project site, which includes Joshua trees, on Monday.
In order to reduce the visibility of tree clearing, crews will have machinery on location to shred the trees instead of putting them in piles or loading them onto trucks and driving them out. Fox News Digital reached out to Avantus and Kern County for comment on the project and did not immediately hear back. Still, the company addresses how the project will impact Joshua trees in the area, on its website.
As to where the electricity will be sent, the company has remained mum. But the Times said the company has signed contracts for some of the electricity to go to Silicon Valley Clean Energy and Central Coast Community Energy, both of which are nonprofits that provide green energy to homes. California lawmakers, in 2023, approved the Western Joshua Tree Conservation Act, banning the killing of trees without a permit.