News and Events

Solar Energy Development Programmatic EIS news, events, and announcements.

October 20, 2009

Solar Energy Study Area Scoping Comments Available

Public scoping comments received in response to publication of the solar energy study area 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 study areas.

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 solar energy study areas 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 Solar Energy Study Area 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 solar energy study areas 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 Solar Energy Study Area maps for California have been updated; several corridors previously shown in error have been removed.
• The acreages for three study areas (Mason Draw and Red Sand 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 study areas have been provided under Solar Energy Study Area Maps.

June 30, 2009

Solar Energy Study Area 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 study areas 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. Additional questions and answers are available on BLM's Web site.

The study area maps are available in PDF format on the Solar Energy Study Area 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:

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:

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:

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.

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