Bureau of Land Management launches 3 Arizona solar projects

BUCKEYE, AZ (3TV/CBS 5) – TThe Bureau of Land Administration is launching three Arizona photo voltaic vitality tasks as a part of its new West-Vast photo voltaic plan initiative.

Secretary of the Inside Deb Haaland and different nationwide officers introduced the plan after touring the Sonoran Photo voltaic Vitality Undertaking, an effort anticipated to energy 91,000 houses. In 2019, BLM and the Division of Vitality launched a photo voltaic vitality affect assertion for Arizona, New Mexico, California, and different neighboring states. This yr, BLM is looking forward to add extra states to the following assertion to prioritize photo voltaic, geothermal, and wind vitality. “This Administration is dedicated to increasing clear vitality growth to deal with local weather change, improve America’s vitality safety and supply for good-paying union jobs,” stated Secretary Haaland.

Based on the Workplace of Vitality Effectivity and Renewable Vitality information, Arizona ranks quantity 5 within the prime 5 states with essentially the most untapped wind vitality potential. Solely round 618 megawatts of wind vitality capability have been put in, making up round 0.6% of the state’s electrical grid. That leaves round 474,967 megawatts nonetheless accessible to be tapped into.

Arizona residents can anticipate upcoming scoping conferences for the proposed Jove photo voltaic challenge that will generate as much as 600 megawatts of renewable vitality on greater than 3,000 acres of public land in La Paz County. Then, there might be a two-year segregation of greater than 4,400 acres of public land related to two proposed photo voltaic vitality tasks, together with a evaluate of the Pinyon Photo voltaic challenge in Maricopa County and the 300 megawatts Elisabeth Photo voltaic challenge in Yuma County.

Throughout the West, BLM is engaged on 65 onshore clear vitality tasks, together with wind and geothermal tasks. These tasks might add greater than 31,000 megawatts of renewable vitality to the western electrical grid. Be taught extra in regards to the bureau’s 2021 Renewable Vitality Truth Sheet.

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