A new article in the Los Angeles Times today discusses the difficulty that renewable energy companies are having obtaining permits to begin solar projects in the deserts of Southeastern California. The report notes that many of the obstacles have to do with concerns over the environmental impact of the facitilies. This isn't a bad thing. One of the biggest problems of our current energy infrastructure is that we rushed into it without planning for its impacts. If we're going to do alternative energy right, we need to take these concerns into account.