Google Earth now mapping sites for renewable energy developers

clipped from www.worldofrenewables.com Google Earth now mapping sites for renewable energy developers Picking the right place for a massive solar power plant or wind farm is a tricky business, one that can turn natural allies into enemies. An open stretch of desert might look empty to a renewable power developer who wants to blanket a few hundred acres with solar panels or mirrors. To environmentalists, the same spot may be vital habitat for an endangered lizard or bird — an ecosystem too delicate to touch. Now, a collaboration between Google Inc. and two leading environmental groups aims to head off those fights: A new mapping tool on Google Earth shows renewable power developers where they can — and can't — build. With grants from Google's philanthropic wing, the National Audubon Society and the Natural Resources Defense Council pulled together maps of endangered species habitats, national parks and other forms of protected land and loaded all that data into Google Earth.