Biden-Harris Administration Achieves Major Milestones in Advancing Solar Energy Development Across the Western United States

In a significant move to expand solar energy production in Western states and enhance efficiency in renewable energy siting and permitting on public lands, the Department of the Interior released an updated roadmap for solar energy development. The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) also revealed progress on multiple renewable projects in Arizona, California, and Nevada, with a total potential capacity of 1,700 megawatts for solar generation and 1,300 megawatts for battery storage.

This initiative aligns with President Biden’s Investing in America agenda, a cornerstone of Bidenomics, which aims to accelerate the clean energy and transmission buildout. The overarching goal is to lower energy costs for consumers, address climate change, create union jobs, and achieve a 100 percent clean electricity grid by 2035.

Acting Deputy Secretary Laura Daniel-Davis highlighted the Interior Department’s role in developing renewable energy projects responsibly and swiftly, crucial for realizing the administration’s vision of a carbon pollution-free power sector by 2035.

Updated Roadmap for Solar Energy Development: The draft analysis of the Utility-Scale Solar Energy Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement, known as the updated Western Solar Plan, was published today. This plan streamlines the BLM’s framework for siting solar energy projects, supporting national clean energy goals, long-term energy security, climate resilience, and improved conservation outcomes.

Originally launched in 2012, the updated Western Solar Plan refines its analysis in six states—Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, and Utah—and expands to include Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Washington, and Wyoming. The BLM collaborated with the Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory to determine that approximately 700,000 acres of public lands would be necessary to meet national clean energy needs.

The preferred alternative in the updated plan opens up around 22 million acres of land for solar applications, aiming to provide flexibility in reaching the nation’s clean energy goals. By directing development to areas with fewer resource conflicts and close proximity to transmission lines, the BLM aims to permit clean energy more efficiently while ensuring robust public and Tribal engagement.

Public input will play a crucial role in shaping the Final Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement and Record of Decision, with a deadline for written comments set for April 18, 2024.

Continued Progress on Onshore Renewable Energy Development: BLM also provided updates on several onshore renewable projects in the West, representing a significant step toward achieving the 100 percent clean electricity grid goal by 2035.

In Nevada, the BLM is advancing four proposed solar projects, including the Libra Solar Project in Mineral and Lyon counties, the Rough Hat Clark County Solar Project, the Dodge Flat II Solar project, and the Dry Lake East Energy Center Solar Project.

California will see progress on the Camino Solar Project in Kern County, while in Arizona, the White Wing Ranch Solar Project’s generation interconnection line has been completed, and construction on the Harquahala Valley (HV) Sunrise gen-tie line is set to begin in February.

The BLM is currently processing a total of 67 utility-scale onshore clean energy projects proposed on public lands in the western United States, with the combined potential to add over 37 gigawatts of renewable energy to the western electric grid. Additionally, preliminary reviews are underway for more than 195 applications for solar and wind development and 97 applications for solar and wind energy site area testing.