Although environmental and conservation groups generally agree that solar, wind and other renewable energy sources are better than fossil-fuel derived power sources, they can come into conflict with how the renewable energy sources are derived.

To avoid such a situation, SunPower Corp. (NASDAQ: SPWRA, SPWRB) and Topaz Solar Farms, LLC, a subsidiary of First Solar, Inc. (NASDAQ: FSLR) reached an agreement on August 9 with the Sierra Club, Defenders of Wildlife and the Center for Biological Diversity regarding solar projects on sensitive lands in development in San Luis Obispo County, Calif.

The environmental groups won’t take actions against SunPower's 250-megawatt California Valley Solar Ranch or the 550-megawatt Topaz Solar Farm, according to SunPower spokesperson Ingrid Ekstrom.

In exchange SunPower and First Solar agreed to increase their conservation efforts to reduce the impact on imperiled species, including the San Joaquin kit fox and giant kangaroo rats.

Under the agreements, the companies will add more than 9,000 acres to the 17,000 acres they already agreed to preserve. In all, roughly 40 square miles of the Carrizo Plain are being protected because of the projects, according to a jointly issued statement. The companies also will remove 30 miles of fencing through the area, allowing greater wildlife traffic, and they pledged to not use any rodenticides, according to the statement.

“We’re pleased with the agreement,” said David Graham-Caso, a Sierra Club spokesperson. “There are significant wins with the environmental community.”

Environmental advocates are hoping that this agreement will show solar developers that initial conservation planning for developing in sensitive areas is faster and less complicated than doing it retroactively—as in this case, Graham-Caso said.

“It’s much faster to do planning from the start and not need these negotiations in the future,” he said.

While The Sierra Club is watching out for potentially species-threatening solar and wind developments, it supports renewables over coal. The organization considers coal-fired power plants extremely dangerous to human health, Graham-Caso said.

“Coal’s pollution contributes to 4 of the 5 leading causes of death in the U.S. This an incredibly dangerous and toxic way to produce electricity,” he said.

The Sierra Club supports or is not opposed to 3,500 megawatts of solar projects in California, according to Graham-Caso.

“There are ample disturbed or degraded sites throughout California that make siting projects on sensitive lands in the future completely unnecessary,” he said.

Image courtesy of the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service.