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IMHO, we also need to bring more focus on 2nd and 3rd order effects of solar panels.

They've been found to:

- improve soil conditions under them

- reduce water evaporation when installed over canals etc.

- provide habitat for certain kinds of farm and wild animals (much like sunken ships provide habitat for certain marine animals)

- provide insulation for structures that have them installed on the roofs

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This is really not true in natural Southwestern US desert, because the worst thing you can do is trample the biotic crust, which takes years (even decades) to regenerate. It is an established biosystem, with its own birds and insects and arthropods and mammals. Trucks driving on it and earth movers leveling it will do nothing good. TBH I’d rather see us put panels on existing buildings before we trample some of the last undeveloped space in North America.

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