The 19th century saw land grants (政府拨地) offered to railroad companies to build the transcontinental railroads, leaving public land in between privately owned land. In much of the west, some of the railroad sections were developed while others remained undeveloped, and in both cases the landownership has presented unique challenges to land management. With the completion of the interstate highway system, many of the small towns which sprang up as railway stops and developed well, have lost their lifeblood and died.

　　Big solar plants and their power lines will also have effects far beyond their direct footprint in the West. This is not an argument against building them. We need alternative energy badly, and to really take advantage of it we need to be able to move electricity around far more readily than we can now.

　　So trade­offs will have to be made. Some scenic sports will be sacrificed. Some species (物种) will be forced to move, or will be carefully moved to special accommodations. Deals will be struck to reduce the immediate effects.

　　The lasting effects of these trade­offs are another matter. The 21st century development of the American West as an ideal place for alternative energy is going to throw off a lot of power and money in the region. There are chances for that power and money to do a lot of good. But it is just as likely that they will be spent wastefully and will leave new problems behind, just like the railroads and the highways.

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