East of Highway 395, the sun rises over the reddish-brown Inyo Mountains. And it sets behind the snow-covered peaks of the Sierra Nevadas. In between and 10,000 feet below, the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power wants to put 1 million solar panels on the flat of Owens Valley.
The idea is to solve a growing problem for the utility. L.A. has invested in a big transmission line up to the valley, but these days it's not carrying all the power it can.