It's not just the rock formations, salt flats and sand dunes that make Death Valley a fascinating place to visit. It also happens to be home to one of the largest private solar power plants in the tourism industry. So we learned when we vacationed there this past week.
Xanterra Parks & Resorts, which operates hotels and restaurants in national parks throughout the western United States, has a one-megawatt photovoltaic system in Furnace Creek Ranch inside Death Valley. That's where we stayed.
A sign inside the resort touts the solar plant. (In the picture above, it's hard to make out the words, "Zabriskie Park: Gateway to our 1 million watt solar facility). A walking path through the park dotted with date palms guides visitors to the facility, located pretty much out of sight in the very back of the property. Row after row of tilted solar panels cover an area the size of about seven football fields at the foot of mountains. A wooden deck offers a good view of the entire operation, which has been up and running since February 2008.
I came away rather impressed by Xanterra's commitment to renewable energy, even if it costs us an extra $2.50 per night in energy surcharge to stay at Furnace Creek Ranch. As it turns out, the company also uses solar power in four other locations where it runs concessions: Zion, Yellowstone, Rocky Mountain and Crater Lake. At Mt. Rushmore and Yellowstone, Xanterra recycles used cooking grease into biodiesel.
As much as I like what Xanterra has done in Death Valley, I do find fault with its operations there. Xanterra operates a golf course at Furnace Creek Ranch right next to the solar plant. What an absurdity! Needless to say, grass does not do very well in the desert heat.
