GILLETTE, Wyo. — A recently released and updated plan from the Bureau of Land Management would tap millions of additional acres of public lands for solar energy development, including lands in Wyoming.
At the end of August, the BLM announced its proposed roadmap for solar energy development on public lands, expanding the original 2012 Western Solar Plan for solar project permitting on public lands across the West.
The plan would make 31 million acres of public lands across 11 western states available for solar development by pulling five western states — Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Washington and Wyoming — into the solar energy fold, joining six others analyzed in the original plan, per the BLM.
The updated plan’s release comes on the heels of an August Short-Term Energy Outlook from the U.S. Energy Information Administration which proclaimed solar energy the fastest-growing electricity source in the United States and expects it to account for 7% of generation by 2025.
To date, the BLM has permitted enough clean energy projects on public lands to produce 29 gigawatts of power, which is enough to power over 12 million homes. Permitted projects have exceeded the Biden-Harris Administration’s goal of permitting 25 gigawatts in renewable energy by 2025.
According to the BLM, the updated Western Solar Plan does not authorize solar development. All proposed projects would still need to undergo site-specific environmental reviews and public comment. The plan would also look to steer project proposals away from protected lands, sensitive cultural resources and important wildlife habitats in addition to areas where solar may conflict with other resources.
In a statement, BLM Director Tracy Stone-Manning characterized the updated Western Solar Plan as a responsible, pragmatic strategy for developing solar energy on public lands that supports national clean-energy goals and long-term energy security.
“It will drive responsible solar development to locations with fewer potential conflicts while helping the nation transition to a clean energy economy, furthering the BLM’s mission to sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of public lands for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations,” Stone-Manning said.
The updated plan, however, was not revealed without scrutiny, drawing criticism from Wyoming Senator Cynthia Lummis, who issued a statement slamming the latest move by the BLM.
“The Biden-Harris administration is hellbent on destroying the western way of life by closing off access to public lands for oil and gas drilling, grazing, recreation, and industries our states rely on to stay afloat, all in the name of climate extremism,” Lummis said.
She said it was outrageous that the administration that wants to limit access for most industries on federal lands now wants to drastically increase the amount of land available for solar energy development.
Earlier this year, the BLM elected to end federal coal leasing in the Powder River Basin, an area that has long served as the nation’s largest coal supplier and has been a pillar of Wyoming’s economy, WyoFile reported in May.
The May decision was made in recognition of a federal perspective that the coal era is coming to an end and sought to support communities in their transition away from coal-fired energy production. It allowed mines to develop already leased reserves while at the same time banning future expansion efforts to access approximately 6 billion tons of publicly owned coal reserves in the Powder River Basin.
In July, Governor Mark Gordon announced the selection of a law firm to aid Wyoming in upcoming coal litigation efforts to overturn the federal coal leasing decision.
“It is time for this administration to stop picking winners and losers and prioritize multiple [uses] of federal lands as is required under existing laws,” Lummis said.
