Sacrificing the desert to save the Earth

[txlibdem]

58. Industrial sites? Interesting thought pattern.

And how much solar energy will those industrial parts be generating on the 15th day of overcast with another 60 days of overcast projected?

Most of those abandoned industrial sites are in the Blue States which don't get good year round sunshine. Seriously, why would you build a railroad over quicksand when you could relocate it to run over solid stable granite? The perfect places to get the energy from the sun just happen to be the desert areas of California, Nevada, New Mexico and parts of Colorado and a huge area of Utah. Why put solar where it will give you 50% of its benefit when you can get 93% of its benefit by locating it where it will generate the most power? PS, 93% takes into account transmission losses from HVAC lines and does not factor in the decreased transmission losses of HVDC transmission lines.

Edit to add: Sorry Arizona, didn't mean to leave you out: you are a vital part of our solar future.