| Decisions determining the use of land for energy are vital as land scarcity, the need for ecosystem services, and demands for energy generation are increasing globally. Utility scale solar energy (USSE; i.e., megawatts) development requires large quantities of land; however, studies quantifying their effects on land cover change and protected areas are limited. We assessed siting impacts of >160 installations by technology type, area (km2), and capacity (MW) within the global solar hot spot of the state of California. Additionally, we used a multiple criteria model to quantify each installation according to environmental and technical compatibility. Last, we evaluated installations according to their proximity to protected areas, including inventoried roadless areas, endangered/threatened species habitat, and federally protected areas. We found the majority of USSE is sited in shrublands and scrublands followed by croplands and pastures. Less than 15% of installations are sited in "compatible" areas. The majority of "incompatible"Â installations are sited far from existing transmission infrastructure, and all installations average 7 and 5 km from protected areas, for photovoltaic and concentrating solar power, respectively. Where energy, food, and conservation goals intersect, environmental compatibility can be achieved when resource opportunities, constraints, and trade-offs are integrated into siting decisions. |