A single recipe for boosting the economy, fixing the border and making clean energy.

• Author: Jones, Karen L.
• Position: ENERGY

The United States today faces enormous challenges. A struggling economy, unemployment, border security, and access to clean and renewable energy are among the most pressing.

These problems on the surface may seem unrelated, but they really are not. In fact, there is a way to address all four at the same time by locating renewable energy infrastructure along the border, particularly in areas that are economically depressed.

The concept may seem over the top, but it makes perfect sense. The U.S.-Mexico border contains some of the most valuable solar resources on the planet. The idea is for federal, state and local governments to join forces and establish "renewable energy corridors" within border regions where the Department of Homeland Security already has invested in infrastructure associated with the SBInet (secure border initiative) virtual fence project. It is reasonable to envision the renewable energy infrastructure being integrated with SBInet.

Renewable energy corridors would establish clean energy capacity, create green jobs in areas of high unemployment, help to diversify the economy and enhance national security by expanding presence and surveillance along the border.

The private sector could provide utility scale renewable energy installations such as photovoltaic farms, solar power towers or geothermal plants. Initial federal investment is needed to cover the cost for upgrading existing transmission lines in areas such as Imperial County, Calif, which flow to nearby energy markets in San Diego, Los Angeles and Phoenix.

The federal government could even recoup its investment after a few years of operation through allocation of "wheeling" fees--transmission tolls which the local utility typically collects.

The security challenges along the U.S.-Mexico border have, to some degree, diverted public attention away from the significant economic and sustainable energy opportunities that the region offers. In remote border areas, multi-purposed renewable energy infrastructure should be considered an effective avenue to enhance security and stability and an innovative means to exploit the enormous renewable energy potential of the region.

Strategically located utility scale renewable energy infrastructure (solar, wind and geothermal) can generate thousands of megawatts of electricity while perimeter fencing and surveillance installations surrounding these facilities can help DHS' efforts to secure the border.

Renewable energy facilities...