Biden Administration Announces Clean Energy Development on Public Lands

Clean energy on public lands is on the rise, and the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) increased renewable energy permits by 35 percent last fiscal year.

A new federal government report said the office approved or facilitated 12 public lands projects and supported the development of 2,890 megawatts – enough to power more than 300 million LEDs – of onshore wind, solar and geothermal generation capacity.

That’s up significantly from 2,148 megawatts in fiscal year 2020. Of the 12 projects for fiscal year 2021, one was approved in the final days of Trump’s presidency and the rest were approved during the Biden administration.

A statement from the Department of the Interior, which oversees the office, predicted even further action, saying the department hopes to acquire more than 10,000 additional megawatts of renewable energy generation capacity by the end of next year.

It would be almost twice as much as now.

The new report also highlights the office’s clean energy efforts, including hiring new staff to support its clean energy goals. It also said it was reducing rents and fees for wind and solar projects on public lands in California and was considering additional reductions.

Additionally, the administration announced it had awarded the first-ever competitive solar lease in Utah. Through the lease agreements, Minersville Solar Energy LLC will build solar panels on 4,800 acres of public land.

According to the Department of the Interior, it will generate more than 600 megawatts of electricity and create approximately 200 construction jobs and 15 operational positions.

It also said it had issued a new memo aimed at accelerating ocean energy development by providing the office with new controls and standardized methods for evaluating solar grant and leasing applications.

“The Department of the Interior continues to make significant progress in our efforts to spur the clean energy revolution, strengthen and decarbonize the national economy, and help communities transition to a clean energy future,” Interior Secretary Deb Haaland said in a statement.

The announcements came in the week leading up to Earth Day, and the Biden administration had previously indicated it would highlight clean energy achievements on Wednesday.

Updated at 10:49

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