Not long after the turn of the 20th century, Los Angeles city planners thought it would be a great idea to divert the water from 100-square-mile Owens Lake into the city’s aqueduct. They may have imagined how grateful their descendants would be for the water supply–but they probably didn’t imagine the nasty side effect of dust storms that sweep the city, whipped up across the dry, uninhabited (and state owned) lake bed by Pacific winds. According to the Los Angeles Times, the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP) has thus far spent over $500 million attempting to control this bane of Owens Valley residents’ existence, to little avail.

A proposal for a huge solar energy plant in the Owens Valley might finally provide at least a partial solution. DWP chief S. David Freeman addressed valley residents last night about the potential solar installations, which ideally could provide five gigawatts of power, about ten percent of California’s total energy use. Shooting for the moon, perhaps? But the DWP is aware that these things go in stages:

The DWP is seeking state approval for an 80-acre pilot solar farm on the lake bed, which is state land, to determine if it will be effective controlling dust. If it works, DWP officials said they are interested in building a solar array on up to 50 square miles of the lake bed.

If a solar energy plant even a portion this large did go up, City of Angels Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa’s plan to take L.A. off coal-powered electricity by 2020 would get a huge push forward. Under Villaraigosa, the city has nearly quadrupled its renewable portfolio since 2005. So city officials? Not likely to stand in the DWP’s way on this one.

California solar installations have been booming for years, and the state’s solar market continues to be aggressively competitive–but this may be the first time a solar installation has been targeted for dust-reduction use. One issue that will certainly come up is what mounting systems and types of solar panels to use; while solar equipment comes with sturdy performance warranties that take into account weather variables, a constant barrage of sand and grit may be a challenge. This is going to be an educational project to keep an eye on.

The LADWP offers a production-based solar rebate to its residential and commercial customers. If you’re a home or business owner in the L.A. area and want to find out how much this and other solar incentives could save you on the cost of a solar installation, click here.