News and Events
Solar Energy Development Programmatic EIS news, events, and announcements.
January 24, 2017
Informational Materials Available on BLM's Competitive Leasing Rule for Solar and Wind Energy Development
The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) recent Competitive Leasing Rule for Solar and Wind Energy Development governs solar and wind energy development on public lands. It was published in the Federal Register on December 19th, and went into effect on January 18, 2017. The rule strengthens existing policies and creates a new leasing program that will support renewable energy development. Copies of the rule and a fact sheet explaining the key changes between the proposed and final rules are available on BLM's website.
On January 17th the BLM hosted a presentation on the recent rule, intended to inform members of industry, non-governmental organizations, local, state, and federal regulators, and the general public on the key elements of the new rule.
Presentation slides (PDF, 874 KB) are now available. A recording of the presentation may be available at a later date.
December 22, 2016
Webinar – General Overview of BLM's Competitive Leasing Rule for Solar and Wind Energy Development: January 17, 2017
Jayme Lopez, principal author, will host a webinar on the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) recent Competitive Leasing Rule for Solar and Wind Energy Development. The webinar will take place on Tuesday, January 17th, from 1:00 PM to 2:30 PM EST (10:00 AM to 11:30 AM PST). This webinar, which is intended for members of industry, non-governmental organizations, local, state, and federal regulators, and the general public, will provide an overview of key elements of the new rule.
The rule governs solar and wind energy development on public lands. It was published in the Federal Register on December 19th, and goes into effect on January 18, 2017. The rule strengthens existing policies and creates a new leasing program that will support renewable energy development. Copies of the rule and a fact sheet explaining the key changes between the proposed and final rules are available on BLM's website.
The dial-in number for the webinar is 1-888-850-4523; Passcode: 473080
To register for the webinar, please use the following link:
https://anl.adobeconnect.com/blmleasingjan17/event/registration.html
After registering you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar. Please note that this webinar is limited to the first 100 people who register.
November 10, 2016
Competitive Leasing Rule for Wind and Solar Leasing is Finalized, Providing a Foundation for the Future of BLM's Renewable Energy Program
The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has finalized its rule governing solar and wind energy development on public lands, as described in a Press Release issued November 10th. The rule strengthens existing policies and creates a new leasing program that will support renewable energy development through, among other things, competitive leasing processes and incentives to encourage development in suitable areas.
The rule complements the Department's landscape-scale planning efforts, including the Western Solar Plan, California's Desert Renewable Energy Conservation Plan, and Arizona's Restoration Design Energy Project, which were designed to streamline development in areas with high generation potential, while protecting important environmental, cultural, and recreational resources.
The rule will support a full range of development activities anticipated by the BLM across the lands it manages. Its competitive leasing provisions will help development flourish on the 700,000 acres of public lands that have been identified as designated leasing areas (DLAs) in Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico and Utah. Similar provisions in effect in the Dry Lake Solar Energy Zone in Nevada enabled the BLM to approve projects in half the time of the current process.
The rule also ensures that the BLM will continue to make progress in permitting outside of DLAs. There, the rule refines the application review process and increases financial certainty by giving developers the option of scheduled rate adjustments and providing for MW capacity fee phase-ins. The rule also allows the BLM to offer lands outside of DLAs competitively; however, the BLM anticipates that most projects in these areas will continue to use the application-by-application process.
Copies of the rule and a fact sheet explaining the key changes between the proposed and final rules are available on BLM's website. The regulations will become effective 30 days after they are published in the Federal Register.
November 26, 2014
BLM Extends Public Comment Period for Solar/Wind Competitive Leasing Proposed Rule and Announces Webinar
The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has extended the comment period for the proposed rule that would promote the use of “designated leasing areas” that include the Bureau of Land Management's Solar Energy Zones. The proposed rule would establish competitive processes, terms, and conditions (including rental and bonding requirements) for solar and wind energy development right-of-ways both inside and outside the designated leasing areas and provide incentives for leases in designated leasing areas.
The proposed rule was initially published on September 30, 2014, with a 60-day comment period closing on December 1, 2014. The BLM is extending the comment period for 15 days beyond the end of the initial comment period. As a result of this extension, the comment period will close on December 16, 2014.
The BLM will host a webinar for interested parties on Wednesday, December 3rd, from 1:00 to 2:30 p.m. Eastern Time to discuss the competitive leasing proposed rule and answer any questions. The dial-in number for the webinar is: 1-888-324-4391; Passcode 7595414. The URL for the webinar is: http://anl.adobeconnect.com/blmleasing/. Please include your name and organization name (if applicable) in the name field when logging in to the webinar. For more information regarding the webinar, please contact Jayme Lopez by telephone at 202-912-7547, or by email at [email protected].
September 30, 2014
BLM's Draft Competitive Leasing Rule for Wind and Solar Leasing Released for Comment
On September 30, 2014, the BLM issued its Draft Competitive Leasing rule for Wind and Solar Leasing in a Federal Register notice. Publication kicks off a 60-day comment period that closes on December 1, 2014. The proposed regulations would promote the use of "designated leasing areas" that include the BLM's SEZs. The rule would establish competitive processes, terms and conditions (including rental and bonding requirements) for solar and wind energy development rights-of-way (ROWs) both inside and outside the designated leasing areas, and provide incentives for leases in designated leasing areas. A Draft Environmental Assessment and an Economic Analysis supporting the draft rule are available on the BLM Solar Energy Program Web site.
August 15, 2013
Launch of BLM's New Solar Energy Program Web Site
The BLM has released its Solar Energy Program Web site (https://blmsolar.anl.gov), which is the online center for public information regarding the ongoing implementation of the Solar Energy Program. The Program was approved in October 2012 through the Record of Decision for the Solar PEIS.
The new Web site provides up-to-date information on the features of the BLM's Solar Energy Program for the purpose of aiding the public, solar energy developers, and regulators in understanding the BLM's requirements and incentives for utility-scale solar energy development on public lands.
In addition, the Solar Energy Program Web site offers an e-mail subscription service that will provide the latest news and announcements relating to the Solar Energy Program.
July 12, 2013
Withdrawal of Solar Energy Zone Lands
On June 27, 2013, a Public Land Order that withdraws 303,900 acres of land within the solar energy zones (SEZs) from location of mining claims that could impede development of solar energy sites became effective. The Public Land Order was published in the Federal Register on July 5, 2013. The lands had already been segregated from the mining laws under temporary measures (see Federal Register Notice of December 17, 2012). The Public Land Order extends the withdrawal for 20 years.
Under the Public Land Order, the public lands in SEZs have been withdrawn, subject to valid existing rights, from settlement, sale, location, or entry under the general land laws, including the mining laws.
February 8, 2013
Arizona Restoration Design Energy Project ROD
In January 2013, the Arizona Restoration Design Energy Project (RDEP) released a Record of Decision (ROD) and Approved Resource Management Plan Amendments. The ROD establishes 192,100 acres of renewable energy development areas on BLM land throughout Arizona. These areas have few known resource impacts or have been previously disturbed, and are available for solar or wind energy development. In addition, the ROD establishes the Agua Caliente Solar Energy Zone. The new Agua Caliente Solar Energy Zone was developed under the guidance of the Solar Energy Development Programmatic EIS. The Final RDEP EIS and ROD are available on the BLM website.
October 15, 2012
Record of Decision for the Solar PEIS
Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar signed the Record of Decision for the Solar PEIS on Friday, October 12, 2012. For more information, see the Press Release. The Record of Decision is available below.
The BLM also has issued its Protest Resolution Report addressing issues raised during the Final Solar PEIS protest period. This document is available below.
October 12, 2012
Signing of the Record of Decision for the Solar PEIS
Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar signed the Record of Decision for the Solar PEIS today, October 12, 2012. For more information, see the Press Release. The Record of Decision will be made available on this Web site early next week.
The BLM also has issued its Protest Resolution Report addressing issues raised during the Final Solar PEIS protest period. This document is available below.
September 28, 2012
BLM Announces Completion of Solar Programmatic Agreement
On September 24, 2012, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) executed a Programmatic Agreement (PA) governing its compliance with Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act for the proposed Solar Energy Program. Parties to the PA included the BLM, the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation (ACHP), and State Historic Preservation Officers from Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, and Utah as Signatories and the National Trust for Historic Preservation and the Duckwater Shoshone Tribe as Concurring Parties. This PA establishes procedures the BLM will follow to meet its Section 106 obligations under the National Historic Preservation Act for all future, site-specific solar energy applications where the BLM is the lead Federal agency and the application is for projects on BLM-managed public lands. The PA does not apply to tribal lands.
The procedures detailed within the PA apply to all new solar applications processed under the Record of Decision for the Solar Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (PEIS). The PA establishes general principles governing BLM-tribal consultations and describes opportunities for tribal input into the specific steps in the Section 106 process.
Circumstances under which the BLM will consult with the ACHP to comply with requirements of 36 CFR 800 are defined in the PA. When the ACHP will not participate in consultations under 36 CFR 800.11, the PA creates a set procedures to properly complete inventories, determinations of eligibility and effect, and treatment/mitigation of adverse effects upon historic properties. Procedures to protect and consider historic properties in post-review discovery situations are described in the PA. The document also includes public reporting procedures for solar projects approved under these provisions.
The BLM Programmatic Agreement for the proposed Solar Energy Program is available below.
July 27, 2012
Notice of Availability for the Final Solar PEIS
The Notice of Availability for the Final Solar PEIS has been published in the Federal Register, and is available below.
July 24, 2012
BLM and DOE release Final Solar PEIS
The BLM and DOE are releasing the Final Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement for Solar Energy Development in Six Southwestern States. The Final Solar PEIS is now available for downloading or browsing online. See the Press Release. The Notice of Availability will be provided after publication in the Federal Register.
April 20, 2012
BLM Releases Documents to Support Solar Energy Program
On April 20, 2012 BLM released documents supporting its efforts to establish a Solar Energy Program through the Solar Programmatic EIS. These documents, available through the Documents page of this Web Site, are a draft framework for developing a Monitoring and Adaptive Management Plan, a draft framework for developing Regional Mitigation Plans, an updated version of the proposed programmatic design features, and a description of Class II Sample Surveys for some solar energy zones. The BLM has released these documents in response to requests to review and provide input on these program elements ahead of the publication of the Final Solar PEIS. Comments are being received by Shannon Stewart at [email protected] (202-912-7219). The BLM will consider comments received as it develops final versions of the frameworks and programmatic design features to be included in the Final Solar PEIS. Input on these topics would be most helpful if received before May 14, 2012.
January 27, 2012
Public Comment Period on Supplement to the Draft Closed
The public comment period for the Supplement to the Draft Solar PEIS closed on January 27, 2012, and comments are no longer being accepted through the project website.
December 16, 2011
Meeting for Supplement to the Draft Solar PEIS Added
A fifth meeting will be held in Colorado on January 11, 2012, at: Inn of the Rio Grande, 333 Santa Fe Ave., Alamosa, CO 81101.This meeting will also be announced at least 15 days in advance via local media and the DOE NEPA Website. For details, see Public Meetings.
October 27, 2011
Supplement to the Draft Solar Energy Development PEIS Available
The full text of the Supplement to the Draft Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement for Solar Energy Development in Six Southwestern States is now available for downloading or online browsing in Adobe Acrobat PDF format. See the BLM press release, BLM's Q & A Document, and the Notice of Availability for more information.
July 14, 2011
DOI and DOE Announce Next Step for the Solar PEIS
Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar and Secretary of Energy Steven Chu announced the next step in the Solar Energy Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (PEIS). The timeline for the PEIS will be extended to address key issues identified in public comments. The agencies intend to address these issues through preparation and release of a targeted supplement document.
Details on the content of the supplement document and expected schedule for issuance are available in the DOI Press Release.
May 2, 2011
Public Comment Period Closed
The public comment period for the PEIS closed on May 2, 2011, and comments are no longer being accepted through the project website.
April 15, 2011
Second Extension of Public Comment Period for Draft Solar PEIS
The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and the Department of Energy (DOE) have extended the public comment period for the Draft Solar PEIS. The public comment period has been extended through May 2, 2011. For additional information about the extension, see the BLM News Release.
March 17, 2011
BLM Solar and Renewable Energy Policies
On February 8, 2011, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) released three policy memoranda providing guidance on the evaluation, screening, and processing of applications for utility scale wind and solar energy projects on BLM-administered lands.
These policies, along with the three pre-existing policies addressing solar energy development, are now available for viewing or downloading from this Web site.
The BLM's solar and renewable energy policies may be viewed or downloaded from the Documents page of this Web site.
March 11, 2011
Draft Solar PEIS Public Meeting Transcripts
The transcripts from seven of the public meetings for comment on the Draft Solar Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement are now available on this Web site. The meetings for which transcripts are available are the following:
- Washington D.C., February 2, 2011
- El Centro, CA, February 7, 2011
- Las Vegas, NV, February 15, 2011
- Goldfield, NV, February 16, 2011
- Caliente, NV, February 17, 2011
- Sacramento, CA, February 22, 2011
- Barstow, CA, February 23, 2011
Transcripts may be viewed or downloaded from the Public Meetings page of this Web site.
Transcripts for the other public meetings, the last of which was held March 10, 2011, are expected to be posted by mid-April or sooner. An e-mail will be sent to website subscribers notifying them when these transcripts are available.
March 7, 2011
Public Comment Period for Draft Solar PEIS Extended
The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) today announced a 30-day extension of the public comment period for the Draft Solar Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (Draft Solar PEIS), a joint effort with Department of Energy. The comment period has been extended 30 days beyond the original closing date of March 17, 2011, meaning that comments will now be accepted through April 16, 2011.
See the BLM News Release for additional information about the extension.
February 1, 2011
Solar Energy Development Draft PEIS Tucson Meeting Location Changed
The location for the Tucson, Arizona public meeting on Wednesday, March 2, 2011 has been changed to the following:
Tucson Marriott University Park
880 East Second Street
Tucson, Arizona 85719
(520) 792-4100
The meeting will begin at 7:00pm with an open house starting at 6:00pm as initially scheduled.
January 14, 2011
Solar Energy Development Draft PEIS Public Meetings Announced
The DOE and BLM have scheduled a series of public meetings in February and March 2011 for the Draft PEIS. The dates and locations of the meetings are now available on the Public Meetings page. See the Press Release announcing the meetings for additional information. Registration to speak at meetings is now open from the Public Meetings page.
December 16, 2010
Draft Solar Energy Development PEIS Available
The full text of the Draft Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement for Solar Energy Development in Six Southwestern States is now available for downloading or online browsing in Adobe Acrobat PDF format. See the BLM and DOE press releases and the Notice of Availability for more information.
December 16, 2010
Draft Solar Energy Development PEIS Maps Available
Maps and supporting spatial data files used in development of the Draft Solar PEIS are now available. Maps and spatial data are available in Adobe Acrobat, Google Earth, and Geographic Information System (GIS) formats. Spatial data may also be viewed in the interactive Web-based Solar Energy Environmental Mapper.
December 7, 2009
Panoramas of Proposed Solar Energy Zones Available
 Interactive panoramas of the proposed solar energy zones (SEZs) are now available. The Adobe Flash-based panoramas allow users to pan and zoom through high-resolution photographs of the proposed SEZs. The panoramas were constructed from photographs taken in the summer and fall of 2009 during site visits for the programmatic EIS.
October 20, 2009
Proposed Solar Energy Zone Scoping Comments Available
Public scoping comments received in response to publication of the proposed solar energy zone maps are now available for downloading/browsing. The maps identify 24 tracts of BLM-administered land for in-depth study for solar development. During the comment period (June 30-September 14, 2009), the Department of Energy and the Bureau of Land Management solicited input on environmental issues, existing resource data, and industry interest with respect to the proposed SEZs.
July 27, 2009
Public Scoping Period Extended to September 14, 2009
The Department of Energy (DOE) and the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) (the Agencies) are issuing a Federal Register Notice of Extension to announce the extension of the public scoping period regarding proposed solar energy zones to be analyzed in the Solar Energy Development PEIS. The new deadline for public scoping comments is September 14, 2009. For more information, see the BLM Press Release.
July 23, 2009
Update on Proposed Solar Energy Zone Scoping Period and Revisions to Maps/Website Data
The Department of Energy (DOE) and the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) (the Agencies) will soon announce in the Federal Register the extension of the public scoping period regarding proposed solar energy zones to be analyzed in the Solar Energy Development PEIS. More information will be provided when the Federal Register notice is available.
Several changes have been made to the information that was made available on this Web site on June 30, 2009 (see below). These changes include the following:
- The existing designated corridors on the Proposed Solar Energy Zone maps for California have been updated; several corridors previously shown in error have been removed.
- The acreages for three proposed SEZs (Mason Draw and Red Sands in New Mexico, and Escalante Valley in Utah) have been decreased to reflect small additional areas that were excluded.
- A Google Maps application and a Google Earth KMZ file to aid in viewing the proposed SEZs have been provided under Solar Energy Development PEIS Maps.
June 30, 2009
Proposed Solar Energy Zone Maps and Additional Public Scoping
The Department of Energy (DOE) and the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) (the Agencies) are announcing the availability of maps that identify 24 tracts of BLM-administered land for in-depth study for solar development. The Agencies are issuing a Federal Register Notice of Availability to inform the public of the availability of the maps; to solicit public comments for consideration in identifying environmental issues, existing resource data, and industry interest with respect to the proposed SEZs in particular; and to explain how BLM will address existing and future solar energy development applications on BLM-administered lands. See the BLM Press Release and Frequently Asked Questions for additional information.
The proposed SEZ maps are available in PDF format on the Solar Energy Development PEIS Maps page. Public scoping comments may be submitted via the Public Comment Form. See the Getting Involved page for information and instructions on submitting public comments. The public comment period ends July 30, 2009.
April 27, 2009
PEIS Schedule Update
The release of the Draft Solar Energy Development Programmatic EIS
was originally scheduled for spring of 2009. The Bureau of Land
Management and the Department of Energy have agreed to postpone
completion of the Draft EIS in order to consider preliminary results
of the Western Governors' Association's Western Renewable Energy Zone
transmission study and to more closely align the proposed
alternatives in the Draft EIS with the Secretary of the Interior's
recently announced policies for renewable energy development from the
public lands. The BLM is continuing to fine-tune the alternatives in
the Programmatic EIS to identify, as much as possible, those areas or
zones with the fewest resource conflicts where solar energy
development could proceed ahead more quickly. Although the new
schedule has not been finalized, it is estimated that the Draft EIS
will be released in the fall of 2009.
March 11, 2009
Press Release: Secretary Salazar Issues Order to Spur Renewable Energy Development on U.S. Public Lands
Citing the critical need to reduce the nation's dependence on foreign oil, build a clean energy economy and create new jobs, Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar has issued a Secretarial Order making the production, development, and delivery of renewable energy top priorities for the Department of the Interior (DOI).
In addition to making renewable energy production a top priority for the Department, Salazar's Secretarial Order establishes an energy and climate change task force that will spur this agenda and identify specific zones on U.S. public lands where the Department of the Interior can facilitate a rapid and responsible move to large-scale production of solar, wind, geothermal, and biomass energy. The Secretarial Order also instructs the task force to establish clear policy direction for authorizing the development of solar energy on public lands.
For more information, see the DOI Press Release.
Oct. 10, 2008
Solar Energy Development PEIS Scoping Summary Report Available
The scoping summary report, entitled Summary of Public Scoping Comments Received during the Scoping Period for the Solar Energy Development Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement is now available for downloading or browsing online under Documents. The report presents a summary of the comments that were received during the scoping period. The DOE and the BLM will use this report and the individual comments as part of a process to determine the scope of analysis in the PEIS.
Aug. 7, 2008
Scoping Comments and Scoping Meeting Transcripts Available
Public comments received during the scoping phase, including individual letters, comments received electronically, and oral comments presented at scoping meetings, are now available on this Web site, under Search Scoping Comments. Transcripts of the scoping meetings held in five Western states in June and July 2008 are also available on the Documents and Public Meetings pages.
July 2, 2008
BLM to Continue Accepting Solar Energy Applications
In response to public interest in solar energy development, the Bureau of Land Management is announcing that it plans to continue accepting applications for future potential solar development on the public lands. The BLM will
process these applications, while continuing to identify issues during public scoping currently underway for the
programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (PEIS).
For more information, see the BLM press release BLM to Continue Accepting Solar Energy Applications
June 20, 2008
Scoping Meeting Venues Confirmed for San Luis Obispo and El Centro
The venue for the scoping meeting to be held in San Luis Obispo CA at 6:00 PM on July 9 has been confirmed. The meeting will be held at the following location:
Embassy Suites San Luis Obispo
333 Madonna Road
San Luis Obispo, California 93405
The venue for the scoping meeting to be held in El Centro CA at 6:00 PM on July 10 has been confirmed. The meeting will be held at the following location:
County Administration Center
940 West Main Street, Suite 211
El Centro, California 92243
On-site registration begins at 6:00 PM local time. Presentations begin at 6:30 PM.
More information about scoping meetings, including online registration and links to maps, is available on the Public Scoping Meetings page.
June 16, 2008
Two Additional Scoping Meetings To Be Held in California
Scoping meetings have been added in San Luis Obispo, California on Wednesday, July 9, 2008 and El Centro, California on Thursday, July 10, 2008. The venue for both meetings is to be determined.
On-site registration begins at 6:00 PM local time. Presentations begin at 6:30 PM.
More information about scoping meetings, including online registration, is available on the Public Scoping Meetings page.
June 11, 2008
Tucson Scoping Meeting Venue Confirmed
CORRECTION: This news item incorrectly stated that the Tucson AZ meeting is on July 7. The Tucson AZ meeting is on July 8. The correction has been made below.
The venue for the scoping meeting to be held in Tucson AZ at 6:00 PM on July 8 has been confirmed. The meeting will be held at the following location:
Pima Community College, Downtown Campus
1255 North Stone Ave
Tucson, Arizona 85709
On-site registration begins at 6:00 PM local time. Presentations begin at 6:30 PM.
More information about scoping meetings, including online registration is available on the Public Scoping Meetings page.
Map/Directions
May 29, 2008
Solar Energy Development Programmatic EIS Public Information Center Web Site Launched
The Solar Energy Development Programmatic EIS Public Information Center Web site was launched May 29, 2008. This Web site is the online center for public information and involvement in the Solar Energy Development Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (Solar Energy Development PEIS).
The Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), Department of Energy (DOE); and the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), Department of the Interior (DOI), are preparing a Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (PEIS) to evaluate solar energy development, develop and implement Agency-specific programs, and to amend relevant Agency land use plans to adopt a new Bureau-wide solar energy program. This Web site is the online center for public information and involvement in the PEIS process. For more information, see the BLM press release announcing the PEIS.
May 29, 2008
Notice of Intent Published in Federal Register
 Notice of Intent to Prepare a Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement to Evaluate
Solar Energy Development, Develop and Implement Agency-Specific Programs, Conduct Public Scoping Meetings, Amend Relevant Agency Land Use Plans, and Provide Notice of Proposed Planning Criteria (51 KB) published in Federal Register.
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