BLM Proposes Opening 31 Million Acres of Public Lands to Solar Development

A new proposal from the Bureau of Land Management would open 31 million acres of public lands in 11 Western states to solar development, according to an article in the Daily Caller. The “Western Solar Plan”  comes after the Biden administration announced the prohibition of oil and gas activity on 28 million acres of public lands in Alaska, the same article reports. While the Western Solar Plan does not authorize any specific solar projects, its purpose is to “drive responsible solar development to locations with fewer potential conflicts while helping the nation transition to a clean energy economy,” said BLM Director Tracy-Stone Manning.

“The plan is in line with Biden administration priorities such as transitioning the U.S. to a 100% carbon-free electricity grid by 2035, fighting climate change and pursuing ‘environmental justice,” writes Daily Caller contributor Nick Pope. Clean energy advocates are celebrating the move, but conservation groups are less enthusiastic. According to a press release from the Center for Biological Diversity, the 31 million acres in the plan is a 40 percent increase over the agency’s draft plan. While the conservation organization acknowledges that large-scale solar’s is a vital component of a clean energy transition, it expressed disappointment and concern at the amount of sensitive public lands and endangered wildlife habitat put at risk. 

The plan is now open for a 30-day protest period for people who participated in the proposal planning process.