Bureau of Land Management updates roadmap for solar projects in western states

A new analysis released by the U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM) this week showcased updated ways to meet net-zero goals for the electric grid by 2035 and, simultaneously, the organization announced progress on renewable projects throughout the American West. 

More than 1,700 megawatts (MW) of potential solar generation and 1,300 MW of possible battery storage capacity are in the pipeline for Arizona, California and Nevada. 

“Investing in clean and reliable renewable energy represents the BLM’s commitment to building a clean energy economy, tackling the climate crisis, promoting American energy security, and creating jobs in communities across the country,” BLM Director Tracy Stone-Manning said. 

BLM intends to press forward with four solar projects in Nevada, including the Libra Solar Project in Mineral and Lyon counties, the Rough Hat Clark County Solar Project, the Dodge Flat II Solar project of Washoe county and the Dry Lake East Energy Center Solar Project. Libra, Rough Hat and Dry Lake each gained draft environmental assessments, while a notice of intent was lodged for Dodge Flat. 

For California, BLM intends to release a notice to proceed for a single project – the 44 MW Camino Solar Project in Kern County. Meanwhile, work has finished on the 179 MW White Wing Ranch Solar Project of Arizona’s Yuma County, and construction is scheduled to begin in February on a gen-tie line connecting the 150 MW HV Sun solar project in Maricopa County to another gen-tie transmission line on BLM administered land. 

At this time, BLM added that it is currently processing 67 utility-scale onshore clean energy projects for U.S. public lands, with a possible 37 GW of renewable energy for the western electric grid.

In a statement, the American Clean Power Association Chief Policy Officer Frank Macchiarola praised the progress. 

“Solar energy had a strong year in 2023 and looks to build on that upward trajectory, modernizing our power systems and economy in the process,” Macchiarola said. “The Western United States has proved critical in driving this and prior deployment. We are hopeful that BLM’s action today—which identified 22 million available acres and takes proximity to transmission into account for development in the Western U.S.—will help expedite the permitting of solar energy on public lands which has historically lagged private land deployment.”

The Interior Department framed these efforts as helping to build modern, resilient infrastructure capable of warding off the worsening effects of climate change. In its updated Utility-Scale Solar Energy Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement, the department cited plans to streamline BLM’s siting framework for solar energy projects, building on information pulled from 15 public scoping meetings and months of collaboration with the Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory. It built on a 2012 Western Solar Plan and expanded its scope to include Idaho, Montana, Washington and Wyoming, in addition to the original’s looks at Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico and Utah.

Under the updated plan, approximately 22 million acres of land would open for solar application, with the focus put to developing areas with fewer sensitive resources, less conflict with other public land uses and transmission lines in the vicinity. Approximately $4.3 million were pulled from the Inflation Reduction Act to update the Western Solar Plan. 

Public comments will be accepted until April 18.