QAZAQ GREEN.  The United States is rapidly expanding its solar energy capacity, and one of the most ambitious examples is the Gemini Solar Project, located in the Mojave Desert about 25 miles northeast of Las Vegas. It's the largest solar power plant in U.S. history and the eighth-largest in the world: a 690-megawatt photovoltaic facility supplying electricity to customers in Nevada (440 MW) and California (250 MW).

While solar power is widely regarded as "green" technology, building large facilities like this can still damage fragile desert ecosystems — displacing the plants and animals living on the cleared land. That's why scientists from the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), working with the Bureau of Land Management, have been continuously monitoring the site, while researchers from the Desert Research Institute (DRI) have been studying how rare plant species are faring on the property.

Instead of relying on the common "blade and grade" method — which strips the land and destroys the seed bank stored in the soil — Gemini Solar Project used gentler construction methods designed to preserve local vegetation. The results exceeded expectations. Two years after the panels were installed, a team led by ecologist Tiffany Pereira found 93 threecorner milkvetch plants (Astragalus geyeri var. triquetrus) — a rare species — on the site, compared with just 12 recorded before construction began in 2018. Plants on the site were also larger across every measure — width, height, number of flowers and fruits, and leaf length — than comparable plants at a nearby, undisturbed site used for comparison. Researchers suspect the reason is higher soil moisture after rainfall, since water stays in the ground longer beneath the panels.

Threecorner milkvetch is a rare species currently under consideration for listing under the U.S. Endangered Species Act; Nevada classifies it as critically endangered. As an annual plant, its presence depends heavily on rainfall, and it can nearly disappear during dry years. Researchers also noted that only one plant was found growing directly in a panel's shade — suggesting the species may still be confined to the space between panel rows, a question they plan to test with a dedicated germination study.

Monitoring at the site goes beyond plants. USGS scientists also track soil conditions — erosion, dust emissions, temperature, and moisture — and before construction began, threatened Agassiz's desert tortoises (Gopherus agassizii) were relocated off the site. They're expected to be reintroduced once construction is complete, and vegetation data will help determine whether the habitat is ready to support their return.

"Our main goal for land managers is always avoidance — avoid disturbing rare species' habitat where possible," Pereira said. "Where that isn't possible, these alternative construction methods can help preserve the ecosystem instead." She noted the findings are based on just one year of monitoring so far, with surveys set to continue.

Taken together, the project suggests that with careful planning, expanding solar energy and protecting fragile desert ecosystems don't have to be at odds.