Bureau of Land Management finalizes rules for renewable energy projects on public lands

The U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM) recently published its final rules regarding leasing and rental rates for renewable energy projects on public lands.

The new rules will reduce rents and fees for renewable energy projects through 2035 and eliminate duplicative payments for renewable energy developers. They will also extend lease terms for renewable projects to 50 years. In addition, the rules will remove competitive leasing requirements in priority development areas and make it easier to develop standalone energy storage projects on public lands.

The final rules closely follow recommendations made by the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA). Abigail Ross Hopper, president and CEO of SEIA, applauded the BLM on the final rules.

“Today the U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM) codified SEIA’s recommendations to make it faster, easier, and cheaper to build clean energy projects on public lands. We need to pull every lever we can to efficiently deploy clean energy, and our nation’s public lands remain an untapped resource. BLM’s new rules are a smart step forward and will help to reverse decades of preferential treatment for fossil fuel interests,” Hopper said. “We commend BLM for working alongside the solar and storage industry to deliver thoughtful rules that will help us strengthen the grid and deliver reliable clean energy to more consumers. We will continue to push for pragmatic solutions that will help us achieve our ambitious clean energy goals.”