BLM continues to advance nine solar projects on western public lands that are expected to provide power to nearly 2 million homes

According to the Department of the Interior, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has nine solar energy projects underway on public lands with the potential to power nearly 2 million homes with clean energy.

These projects will support President Biden’s goal of achieving a carbon-free energy sector by 2035.

The decision supports the Department’s announcement to authorize BLM for more than 25 GW of clean energy projects, enough clean energy to power more than 12 million homes nationwide. This includes solar, wind, and geothermal projects, as well as gen-tie lines on public lands to connect clean electricity projects on both federal and nonfederal lands to the grid.

“The Biden-Harris Administration’s commitment to sustainability means we are protecting our natural and cultural resources while moving quickly to advance our nation’s clean energy goals,” said BLM Director Tracy Stone-Manning. “As we continue to review clean energy projects, we are committed to working with states, tribes, and stakeholders to ensure we are building lasting opportunities that create jobs and stimulate a clean energy economy.

The Esmeralda 7 Solar Project consists of seven proposed utility-scale solar facilities with battery storage systems on approximately 118,000 acres of BLM-managed public lands near Tonopah, Nevada.

BLM opens 45-day public comment period on draft Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement and Resource Management Plan Amendment for project. BLM’s programmatic environmental statement will serve as the basis for individual environmental analyses of each project so that BLM can grant rights of way for some or all of the projects.

Once all proposed projects are approved, they are projected to have the capacity to generate 5.35 GW of clean electricity, enough to power around 1.6 million homes.

The BLM also released a final environmental impact statement for the proposed 5,100-acre Libra solar project in Mineral and Lyon counties, Nevada. If approved, the project is expected to include a 700-MW solar power plant, a 700-MW BESS and a 24-mile power line. The project would generate and store enough clean energy to power more than 212,000 homes.

BLM opens 30-day public comment period on draft environmental impact assessment for Elisabeth Solar Project near Dateland, Arizona, located on 1,400 acres about 65 miles east of Yuma in the Agua Caliente Solar Energy Zone. The project is expected to generate up to 270 MW of clean electricity and up to 300 MW of battery storage if approved.

The BLM has an additional 70 utility-scale clean energy projects underway in the Western U.S. as of July 2024 that are expected to generate nearly 32 GW of renewable energy. The BLM has also begun preliminary review of approximately 166 applications for solar and wind development, as well as more than 40 applications for testing solar and wind sites.