Clearing forests to erect solar panels may not be clean-energy solution

Evidence of the clean-energy transition abounds, with solar panels dotting rooftops, parking lots, and open spaces. The report, written with Mass Audubon, says stronger land-use and incentive policies would allow a smoother transition to clean energy sources without sacrificing more forests and farmlands. As the authors make clear, clean energy sources aren’t enough to meet climate goals. Beyond the beautiful green canopies they provide, forests are a critical, natural carbon sink, and the clean energy transition can’t happen without them. Launching a statewide planning effort to integrate clean energy and transmission infrastructure into the process of land development.