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Photo voltaic progress in Arizona and Nevada advances President Biden’s clear vitality objectives and continues monitor report of environment friendly, accountable allowing
WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Division of the Inside right now introduced that the Bureau of Land Administration (BLM) is advancing 9 photo voltaic initiatives on public lands that would doubtlessly energy almost 2 million properties with clear vitality. The initiatives will help President Biden’s objective of making a carbon pollution-free energy sector by 2035.
Immediately’s actions comply with the Division’s April announcement that the BLM has permitted greater than 25 gigawatts of unpolluted vitality initiatives — surpassing a serious milestone forward of 2025 — sufficient clear vitality to energy greater than 12 million properties throughout the nation. This contains photo voltaic, wind and geothermal initiatives, in addition to gen-tie strains on public lands which can be important for connecting clear electrical energy initiatives on each federal and non-federal land to the grid.
“The Interior Department is playing a pivotal role in helping tackle the climate crisis, boost the clean energy economy and provide communities across the nation with clean, reliable energy,” stated Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Land and Minerals Administration Dr. Steve Feldgus. “With today’s advancement of nine solar energy projects on public lands, we are taking a significant step towards these efforts and President Biden’s ambitious clean energy goals.”
“The Biden-Harris administration’s commitment to sustainable development means that we are protecting our natural and cultural resources while moving quickly towards our nation’s clean energy goals,” stated BLM Director Tracy Stone-Manning. “As we proceed to evaluation clear vitality initiatives, we’re dedicated to collaborating with states, Tribes and stakeholders to make sure that we’re constructing lasting alternatives to create jobs and stimulate the clear vitality economic system.
Progress on Esmeralda 7 Photo voltaic Undertaking
Key to the progress introduced right now is Esmeralda 7, which encompasses seven proposed utility scale photo voltaic services with battery vitality storage programs on roughly 118,000 acres of BLM-managed public lands close to Tonopah, Nevada. The BLM is opening a 45-day public remark interval on the Draft Programmatic Environmental Impression Assertion and Useful resource Administration Plan Modification for Esmeralda 7. The BLM’s programmatic environmental influence assertion would offer the muse for particular person environmental analyses of every undertaking, after which the BLM would resolve whether or not to grant rights-of-way for some or the entire initiatives. If all of the proposed initiatives are accredited, they might have the capability to generate 5.35 gigawatts of unpolluted electrical energy — sufficient to energy roughly 1.6 million properties.
Progress on Libra Photo voltaic
The BLM additionally revealed the ultimate environmental influence assertion for the proposed 5,100-acre Libra Photo voltaic Undertaking in Mineral and Lyon Counties, Nevada. If accredited, Libra Photo voltaic would come with a 700 megawatt (MW) photo voltaic vitality facility, a 700 MW battery vitality storage system, and a 24-mile-long technology tie-line. The undertaking would generate and retailer sufficient clear vitality to energy greater than 212,000 properties. The environmental influence assertion for the Libra Photo voltaic Undertaking was initiated with a discover of intent on April 24, 2023. The assertion and related paperwork can be found for inspection on the undertaking’s web site on BLM’s Nationwide NEPA Register.
Progress on Elisabeth Photo voltaic
The BLM can also be opening a 30-day public remark interval on a draft environmental evaluation for the Elisabeth Photo voltaic Undertaking close to Dateland, Arizona, positioned on 1,400 acres roughly 65 miles east of the Metropolis of Yuma inside the Agua Caliente Photo voltaic Vitality Zone. If accredited, the undertaking would produce as much as 270 MW of unpolluted electrical energy and as much as 300 MW of battery storage.
As of July 2024, a further 70 utility-scale clear vitality initiatives are in course of by the BLM all through the Western United States. These initiatives have the potential to supply virtually 32 gigawatts of renewable vitality. As well as, BLM has begun the preliminary evaluation of roughly 166 purposes for photo voltaic and wind improvement, in addition to greater than 40 purposes for photo voltaic and wind vitality website testing.
Courtesy of U.S. Division of Inside.
