Ranchers

Third-generation cattle George Whitten and his wife, Julie Sullivan, were opposed to a solar project on a nearby property. The proposal from Tessera Solar would have placed 6,000 large solar dishes on a wetland, but it was blocked by local residents because of the noise it would create. Sullivan, who was flown to Arizona by Tessera to learn about the technology, is opposed to large-scale solar projects that would turn the valley into an industrial zone or adversely affect the environment. The company, meanwhile, went bankrupt in part because of dramatically lower costs from solar photovoltaic panels.