The Bureau of Land Administration (BLM) has revealed particulars of a plan to make thousands and thousands of acres of public lands throughout the western U.S. obtainable for improvement of solar energy.
The Western Photo voltaic Plan, which revises pointers from greater than a decade in the past, was revealed within the Federal Register on August 30. The BLM mentioned the plan would make 31 million acres of public lands obtainable for potential photo voltaic power improvement.
The brand new proposal seeks to convey photo voltaic tasks to 11 states. The plan would place improvement nearer to current or deliberate energy transmission strains, and likewise appears at siting tasks close to land that has been beforehand accessed.
The up to date proposal revealed Friday provides 5 states—Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Washington, and Wyoming—to an authentic six the place land has been thought of for improvement. The unique states are Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, and Utah.
“The up to date Western Photo voltaic Plan is a accountable, pragmatic technique for creating photo voltaic power on our nation’s public lands that helps nationwide clear power targets and long-term nationwide power safety,” BLM Director Tracy Stone-Manning mentioned in an announcement.
Ben Norris, vice chairman of regulatory affairs on the Photo voltaic Vitality Industries Affiliation (SEIA), in an announcement mentioned, “The Bureau of Land Administration opened 31 million acres of federal lands to renewable power improvement, accepting lots of SEIA’s suggestions to strike a greater stability between its conservation and clear power deployment targets. For over 12 years SEIA has advocated for leveling the taking part in discipline for renewables and rising public land entry for photo voltaic and storage improvement. Whereas we’re nonetheless reviewing the small print, we’re happy to see that BLM listened to a lot of the photo voltaic business’s suggestions … whereas this can be a step in the appropriate route, fossil fuels have entry to over 80 million acres of public land, 2.5 instances the quantity of public land obtainable for photo voltaic.”
A number of Situations Thought of
The BLM within the proposal mentioned it had examined six completely different eventualities earlier than deciding on the potential for improvement on 31 million acres out of 162 million acres of public lands throughout the West. The doc says that of these 31 million acres, the lands can be obtainable for improvement provided that they’re inside 15 miles of an current or deliberate high-voltage transmission line, or if they’ve been categorized as “beforehand disturbed.”
The BLM additionally mentioned its program would try and “enhance the photo voltaic power undertaking software course of” by excluding areas that would wish safety. The company additionally mentioned it needs to be versatile concerning doable improvement websites.
Stone-Manning mentioned the BLM needs to “drive accountable photo voltaic improvement to places with fewer potential conflicts whereas serving to the nation transition to a clear power financial system.”
The plan revealed Friday within the Federal Register is within the type of a Last Utility-Scale Photo voltaic Vitality Programmatic Environmental Influence Assertion. The up to date proposal comes after a draft was issued for public remark in January of this 12 months. The BLM mentioned the draft obtained widespread enter from a number of stakeholders, and included methods to guard wildlife, in addition to offering extra data and readability to the solar energy business.
The BLM mentioned publication of the environmental affect assertion begins a 30-day protest interval, and likewise begins a 60-day consistency evaluate window for governors of these 11 states.
Steve Feldgus, principal deputy assistant secretary for land and minerals administration for the U.S. Dept. of the Inside, which oversees the BLM, in an announcement mentioned, “The up to date Western Photo voltaic Plan will assist construct fashionable, resilient power infrastructure that creates a powerful clear power financial system and protects our communities from the worsening impacts of local weather change.” Feldgus mentioned the plan focuses on “guaranteeing that allowing for photo voltaic tasks strikes sooner and extra effectively,” whereas searching for to forestall conflicts and “placing the appropriate stability.”
Norris mentioned, “One of many quickest methods to decarbonize our grid is to greenlight well-planned clear power improvement on federal lands, and the enhancements to this environmental evaluate doc will definitely assist. We’ll proceed to work with BLM and different federal companies to advertise accountable clear power improvement on public lands and streamline the allowing course of.”
—Darrell Proctor is senior editor for POWER (@POWERmagazine).
