[goodpoint]

> you'd need to use kilotons of water a day, which is usually hard in a desert

North Africa, India, Australia and other have deserts right next to the ocean.

[ncmncm]

There is absolutely no need for deserts to site solar farms, so the premise is nonsense.

Solar farms are wholly compatible with agriculture. Look up "agrivoltaics".

[winReInstall]

There are currently experiments in europe, to combine the too. Turns out alot of plants just need 2 hrs of sun and shut down after too save on evoparation. Meaning 35 % of the sunlight needed and the rest as solar seems feasable.