Companies that agree to hire union workers seem to sail through approval hearings. Those that buck the union system get hammered with environmental impact reviews, costs and delays.

The New York Times reports that when solar power developer Ausra wanted to build a solar plant, it was challenged by labor lawyers who were terribly worried about protecting the environment and animal habitats.

Ausra didn’t want to hire union workers.

But an even larger solar plant proposed by BrightSource Energy sailed through the approval process, with enthusiastic support from the same union group, the California Unions for Reliable Energy.

BrightSource had agreed to hire union workers.

The NYTimes story warns that the battle over hiring union workers to build California’s solar power operations is expected to spread to all renewable energy projects.

The California Unions for Reliable Energy touts itself as specializing in conventional and renewable energy projects, “while protecting the state’s air, land and water from pollution.”

The NYTimes article is here.