Federal agency segregates Arizona public lands for solar considerations

PHOENIX — The Bureau of Land Administration in Arizona introduced on Wednesday it’s separating greater than 4,400 acres of public land throughout two websites for 2 years for utility-scale photo voltaic power undertaking issues.

The company is segregating roughly 1,880 acres for the Pinyon Photo voltaic undertaking west of Maricopa and a couple of,560 acres for the Elisabeth Photo voltaic undertaking north of Dateland in Yuma County.

The BLM segregates the land earlier than conducting an environmental evaluation underneath the Nationwide Environmental Coverage Act.

“Segregations like these assist make sure that the BLM has the power to fastidiously study and think about the potential growth of renewable power proposals with out being hindered by incompatible or conflicting land use proposals or filings throughout the environmental evaluation and utility assessment course of,” BLM Arizona’s Deputy State Director for Lands, Minerals, Vitality and Cadastral Survey Mark Morberg mentioned in a press launch.

In 2021, 9% of Arizona’s complete internet power era got here from photo voltaic, extra energy than all of Arizona’s different renewable power sources mixed, in accordance with the U.S. Vitality Info Administration.

The Biden administration has a objective of creating a carbon pollution-free energy sector by 2035 and allowing 25 gigawatts of renewable power on public land by 2025. Arizona and the American Southwest are keys to reaching these marks.

Secretary of the Inside Deb Haaland and Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Land and Minerals Administration Laura Daniel-Davis visited the Sonoran Photo voltaic Vitality Challenge in Buckeye final week. They introduced the BLM will develop a brand new plan for photo voltaic power growth on public lands: the Photo voltaic Programmatic Environmental Influence Assertion, an replace on a 2012 initiative.

“Our assessment of those proposed tasks in Arizona, and a brand new evaluation of the position public lands can play in furthering photo voltaic power manufacturing, will assist guarantee we maintain the momentum going to construct a clear power future, decrease prices for households and create sturdy conservation outcomes on the nation’s lands and waters,” Haaland mentioned in a press launch.

The BLM Arizona workplace is at the moment reviewing three proposed photo voltaic tasks within the state that might add one gigawatt of unpolluted power, in accordance with the discharge.

The company is scheduled to carry two public conferences in January on the proposed Jove Photo voltaic Vitality undertaking in La Paz County, which might produce as much as 600 megawatts of power from photo voltaic photovoltaic modules.