The U.S. government launches a new PV system development program
The U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has said that it will develop an updated plan to guide the development of photovoltaic systems on federal public lands in the United States through an updated Environmental Impact Statement (PEIS) for photovoltaic projects, which will help accelerate and continue the momentum of the clean energy economy.
The U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has also begun reviewing three proposed PV installations in Arizona that could add 1GW of clean energy to the grid.
U.S. Secretary of the Interior Deb “This administration is committed to expanding clean energy development to combat climate change, strengthen America’s energy security, and provide good-paying jobs for U.S. union members,” Haaland said. Our review of these proposed PV projects in Arizona, along with our analysis of the role that public lands can play in further developing PV systems, will help secure future momentum for clean energy, reduce electricity costs for home users, and create strong conservation outcomes on U.S. lands and waters. ”
Laura, Deputy Director of the U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM). Daniel-Davis added, “We take our public lands in the U.S. states seriously and responsibly with an eye toward the growing impact of the climate crisis. The power and potential of clean energy in the future is an undeniably key part of this work. The U.S. Bureau of Land Management is working hard to ensure that its processes and pace maintain the momentum we’re seeing from the PV industry. ”
In 2012, the U.S. Bureau of Land Management and the U.S. Department of Energy released final environmental impact reports for the development of photovoltaic systems in six southwestern states (Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, and Utah). The 2012 Environmental Impact Statement (PEIS) for PV Projects identifies areas with high power generation potential and low resource conflicts for PV systems to guide the development of PV systems and provide certainty for PV developers. And 10 years later, with advances in technology, new ways to transmit electricity, and ambitious clean energy goals, the U.S. Bureau of Land Management is updating its 2012 Environmental Impact Statement (PEIS) for photovoltaic projects. As part of this update, the U.S. Bureau of Land Management is considering adding more states, adjusting exclusion criteria, and seeking to identify new or expanded areas to prioritize the deployment of photovoltaic systems.
The U.S. Bureau of Land Management’s notice to update the 2012 Environmental Impact Statement for PV Projects will be published in the Federal Register. This will begin a 60-day public comment period where interested stakeholders will be invited to submit written feedback or attend upcoming in-person and virtual sessions. After the public review period, the U.S. Bureau of Land Management will develop a draft planned environmental impact statement for public review and comment.
U.S. Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland also celebrated the preliminary review of a new large-scale PV project proposed on Arizona public lands. First, a meeting on the environmental analysis of the proposed Jove PV project, which will be developed on 3,495 acres of public land in southeastern La Paz County, will install up to 600MW of utility-scale PV projects. Second, two proposed utility-scale PV projects are planned to be installed on 4,400 acres of public land, one is the proposed 250MW Pinyon PV project in Maricopa County and the other is the 300MW Elisabeth PV project proposed in Yuma County.
The U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has also issued updated guidance to improve consistency in handling right-of-way for utility-scale PV projects under the change process established by the U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM) 2012 Western PV Plan.
In the western United States, the U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is currently processing utility-scale clean energy projects proposed on 65 public lands. This includes photovoltaic, wind, and geothermal projects, as well as power lines that are critical to clean energy projects proposed on non-federal lands. These projects have the potential to provide 31GW of renewable energy to the western U.S. grid. The U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM) also conducts a preliminary review of more than 100 applications for development of photovoltaic systems and wind power facilities, as well as nearly 50 applications for wind power and photovoltaic system testing.