Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung
Abstract: Several megatrends foreshadow a massive expansion of solar- and wind-power generation worldwide. This is buoyed by decreased costs,especially for photovoltaics (PV) and wind turbines,making energy derived from large-scale solar and wind parks among the cheapest sources of electricity ? much cheaper than energy from coal,gas,or nuclear power. In view of the world?s climate emergency,more and more land will be used for large-scale solar and wind parks as near-zero-carbon sources of energy. Some of this green energy is already being used to generate green hydrogen via the electrolysis of water,and there will be a steep increase in demand for such e-fuels for industry and transport. In recent years,governments and investors have increasingly recognised that many arid and semiarid rangeland (?dryland?) areas are excellent sites for generating wind and solar power. Not only do these areas experience high solar irradiation and often high wind velocities,they are also fairly flat and relatively sparsely populated. Potential sites for renewable energy projects closer to more populated areas and cities frequently face resistance from inhabitants who usually have more (voting and other) influence than do those in the rangelands.