{"id":2152176,"date":"2024-01-17T20:30:02","date_gmt":"2024-01-18T01:30:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/interior-expands-western-solar-plan-to-include-five-additional-states\/"},"modified":"2024-01-17T20:31:10","modified_gmt":"2024-01-18T01:31:10","slug":"interior-expands-western-solar-plan-to-include-five-additional-states","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/interior-expands-western-solar-plan-to-include-five-additional-states\/","title":{"rendered":"Interior broadens Western solar initiative to encompass five more states"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">20<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Finterior-expands-western-solar-plan-to-include-five-additional-states%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2152176&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><h2>The\u2062 Biden Administration Expands Solar Development Plan \u200cfor Public Lands in the \u2064West<\/h2>\n<p>The Biden administration is taking a significant step towards achieving President \u200dJoe Biden&#8217;s ambitious goal of a 100% emissions-free power grid by 2035. The Bureau \u200dof Land\u200d Management (BLM)\u200c has unveiled an\u200c updated solar development \u200dplan for\u2062 public lands in the Western United States, building\u2062 upon\u200c the 2012\u2064 Western \u2062Solar Plan initiated during the Obama era.<\/p>\n<p>The original plan identified federal acres in six Western states\u200c with high potential\u200b for utility-scale\u2064 solar power: Arizona, \u2064California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, and Utah. Now, with the\u200b help \u2064of\u2064 $4.3 million in funds \u200bfrom the Inflation Reduction\u200d Act, BLM\u2062 has refined the \u200dexisting areas and expanded the plan \u2062to\u200d include five additional states: Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Washington, and Wyoming.<\/p>\n<p>BLM collaborated with the Department of Energy&#8217;s \u2062National Renewable Energy\u2064 Laboratory to\u2062 determine the amount of land required to\u200c meet President Biden&#8217;s clean energy goals. The analysis concluded that approximately 700,000 acres of public land would be necessary for solar development, a significant reduction from the initial estimate of 22 million public acres across 11 states. \u200dThis \u2064adjustment \u2063allows for &#8220;maximum \u200bflexibility&#8221; \u200bas developers pursue solar projects.<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<h3>&#8220;Our public lands are playing \u2062a\u200b critical role in the \u200cclean energy transition, and the progress the Bureau of\u2063 Land Management is announcing today on several\u2063 clean energy projects across \u2062the \u2063West represents our continued momentum in achieving those goals,&#8221;<\/h3>\n<p> \u200bsaid BLM Director \u2062Tracy Stone-Manning.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>In addition to solar power, the Interior Department is also focusing on other large-scale\u200b renewable projects, including wind power and geothermal projects. These initiatives have the potential to contribute up to 37 gigawatts\u2064 of\u200d renewable energy generation \u2063to Western power grids.<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<h3>&#8220;The Interior Department&#8217;s \u2063work to responsibly\u2063 and quickly\u200c develop renewable \u2062energy projects is \u2062crucial to achieving the Biden-Harris \u200cadministration&#8217;s goal of\u200d a \u2062carbon pollution-free \u2064power sector\u200d by 2035 \u2014 and this updated solar roadmap will help us get there \u2064in more states and on \u200dmore lands across the West,&#8221;<\/h3>\n<p> stated \u200dInterior&#8217;s acting deputy secretary, Laura\u2062 Daniel-Davis.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>The BLM has also outlined the \u200dnext steps for several large-scale projects in Arizona, California, \u2064and Nevada, which could generate \u2063over 1,700 megawatts of solar power and provide approximately 1,300 megawatts of battery storage capacity. The draft \u2063proposal is open for \u200dpublic \u200ccomment until mid-April, with a final\u2064 plan expected to be published by the end \u2062of the\u2062 year.<\/p>\n<p>Read more from <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\">The Washington Examiner<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p> <\/p>\n<h2> What factors were considered \u200bwhen identifying suitable areas for solar development on public lands in the Western United States?<\/h2>\n<p><span>  With the Western Solar Energy Technology Office (WSETO)\u200c to identify suitable areas \u200dfor solar development on\u2062 public lands. The two agencies conducted extensive research, including Geographic Information System (GIS) analysis\u2062 and stakeholder engagement, to determine the most\u200d advantageous locations \u200cfor\u2062 solar \u200cdevelopment.<\/p>\n<p>The updated \u2063plan recognizes the importance of balancing renewable energy production with environmental considerations. It takes into account \u200cvarious factors such as land use compatibility, visual impact, and \u2062potential conflicts with wildlife habitats. By carefully selecting areas that \u200cminimize negative impacts, \u200cthe administration \u200caims to promote sustainable solar development while protecting\u200d natural resources.<\/p>\n<p>In addition \u2064to expanding the geographic\u2062 scope, the plan also \u200bintroduces \u200bnew\u200c guidelines to streamline the permitting process for solar projects on public\u200c lands.\u200d The updated guidelines include standardized procedures for project evaluation,\u2063 public involvement, and\u2064 lease terms. This streamlined approach is\u200d expected to accelerate the development of \u200dsolar projects while maintaining transparency and accountability.<\/p>\n<p>The Biden administration&#8217;s commitment to renewable energy is evident in the funding allocated\u2062 towards solar development \u2062on public lands. The $4.3 million provided through the \u2062Inflation\u2062 Reduction Act\u200b will \u200cfund the \u200dnecessary studies, assessments, and planning\u200d efforts required \u2064for the successful implementation of the updated plan.\u2062 This investment reflects the administration&#8217;s determination to overcome the challenges associated with transitioning\u200b to a clean energy economy.<\/p>\n<p>By expanding solar development on public lands in the West, the Biden administration aims \u2062to create economic opportunities, promote job growth, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. \u2064The plan \u2064is expected to attract\u200c private investments in the\u2063 renewable energy sector, driving innovation and driving down\u2063 the cost of solar energy. In addition, the development of solar projects on public lands will generate revenue for local \u200ccommunities through lease payments and royalties.<\/p>\n<p>Furthermore, the expansion of solar development on public lands contributes to the overall diversification of the nation&#8217;s energy portfolio. Solar power provides a reliable and sustainable source\u200d of electricity, helping to\u2064 reduce dependence on fossil fuels and enhance energy security. The increased deployment of \u2062solar energy\u200d will also contribute to the reduction of air pollution and mitigate the impacts of climate change.<\/p>\n<p>As the world grapples\u200d with \u200cthe\u2064 urgent need \u2063to address climate change,\u2063 the \u200dBiden \u2062administration&#8217;s expansion of solar development on public lands represents a significant step\u200d towards achieving a clean energy future. By leveraging the vast renewable energy potential of the Western United States, the administration is \u200dsetting the stage for a sustainable and prosperous future. Through careful \u2064planning, collaboration, and\u2063 investment, the vision of a 100% emissions-free power grid by 2035 can become a reality.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Biden administration has expanded its solar development plan for Western public lands, aiming to achieve a 100% emissions-free power grid by 2035. This updated proposal builds upon the Bureau of Land Management&#8217;s 2012 Western Solar Plan, emphasizing the administration&#8217;s commitment to renewable energy<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2650,"featured_media":2315279,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[538],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2152176","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-washington-examiner"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2152176","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2650"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2152176"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2152176\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2315279"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2152176"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2152176"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2152176"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}