The Department of the Interior today announced that the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is advancing nine solar projects on public lands that could potentially power nearly 2 million homes. 

“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,” says Department of the Interior’s 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 5.35 GW Esmeralda 7 project encompasses seven proposed utility-scale solar facilities with BESS on approximately 118,000 acres of BLM-managed public lands near Tonopah, Nev. The BLM is opening a 45-day public comment period on the Draft Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement and Resource Management Plan Amendment for the project.

The BLM is also opening a 30-day public comment period on a draft environmental assessment for the Elisabeth Solar Project near Dateland, Ariz., located on 1,400 acres approximately 65 miles east of the City of Yuma within the Agua Caliente Solar Energy Zone. If approved, the project would produce up to 270 MW of electricity and up to 300 MW of battery storage.

As of this month an additional 70 utility-scale clean energy projects are in process by the BLM throughout the Western United States.

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BLM Advances Projects on Western Public Lands