An analysis of utility-scale solar corruption in California

Researchers have found seven perceived patterns of corruption tied to the utility-scale solar boom in Southern California from 2010 to 2024.

May 1, 2025 John Fitzgerald Weaver

Image: flickr

The global solar power industry generated hundreds of billions of dollars in revenue in 2024. Like many human-driven endeavors—especially in mission-oriented sectors—the gap between idealism and execution can invite ethical lapses. The solar industry has been no exception, with billion-dollar thefts and recent indictments drawing increased scrutiny.

Now, researchers based in Boston and Finland have published the study Sex for solar? Examining patterns of public and private sector corruption within the booming California solar energy market. The study looks at utility-scale solar development in eastern Riverside County, specifically between Desert Center and Blythe, from 2010 through 2024. While 4.25 GW of capacity was deployed across 13 projects during this period, the research focuses primarily on one solar power facility.

The seven types of corruption highlighted are defined as:

Clientelism and favoritism: hiring only friends or colleagues, or allocating contracts, permits, or licenses inefficiently or unfairly—at times in exchange for sex;
Rent-seeking and land grabbing: diverting or capturing public spending, or dispossessing communities of communal or public land;
Service diversion: avoiding the distribution of local benefits;
Theft: coercively removing equipment, property, or cultural artifacts;
Greenwashing: producing flawed impact assessments, overriding environmental objectives or misleading the public about a project’s benefits;
Tax evasion and avoidance: nonpayment, underpayment, or strategic evasion of local taxes; and
Non-transparency: concealing or failing to disclose critical information.

The researchers’ conclusions are based on interviews with 29 individuals across 38 sessions, four focus groups, participant observation, and extensive document analysis — including government records and court findings. To ensure transparency, the study includes full citations for all relevant source documents.

One of the most striking examples involved clientelism and favoritism in direct exchange for sex during the development of the 250 MW Genesis Solar Energy Center. A high-ranking U.S. government official was recused from oversight of renewable energy projects after it was revealed he was engaged in a sexual relationship with a corporate lobbyist representing the developer. That relationship resulted in regulatory leniency, including the bypassing of archaeological surveys and a lack of enforcement around eagle deaths. The official ultimately resigned.

According to government reports, the same official maintained additional friendships with other lobbyists tied to the project and allegedly accepted items of value from the developer after formally recusing himself from oversight.

This initial breakdown in oversight of environmental and cultural protections opened the door for other forms of corruption to follow. The authors argue that theft occurred next—specifically, the removal or destruction of culturally significant items belonging to Native tribes in the region.

The paper noted that “the Final Environmental Impact Statement for Genesis confirmed that 99 archaeological sites had been identified within the project site.” One interviewee claimed that “a lot of artifacts” were removed, including “pottery and mammoth skulls.” Another said that the Genesis project was built atop burial lands and that excavation work uncovered “several old remains.”

Additional patterns of corruption were also suggested in connection with the project. Nearby communities reported inadequate compensation for transmission infrastructure routed through their land. Local residents and businesses stated that promised job opportunities largely went to larger firms based outside the area. Others criticized tax arrangements that diverted revenue toward the county rather than the affected local municipalities.

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