Renewable Energy Projects Approved Since the Beginning of Calendar Year 2009 The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) continues to work on environmentally responsible development of utility-scale renewable energy projects on the public lands as part of the Administration's efforts to diversify the Nation's energy portfolio. The BLM had not approved any solar energy projects on the public lands prior to 2009, but had approved some wind energy and geothermal projects on the public lands. Total megawatt (MW) capacity of wind energy and geothermal projects approved on the public lands prior to 2009 included 566 MWs of wind energy and 942 MWs of geothermal. Approvals since 2009 have included 7,566 MWs of solar energy, 4,063 MWs of wind energy, and 495 MWs of geothermal, for a total of 12,123 MWs of additional capacity.
The table below indicates the locations and other details regarding the renewable energy projects approved on BLM public lands since 2009, including some "connected action" projects on private lands that required BLM approvals for off-site facilities (transmission lines, access, etc.). Projects highlighted in green are already in operation and projects highlighted in tan are under construction. Clicking on hyperlinked project titles will take you to more information about an individual project. Hyperlinked approval dates link to the corresponding Record of Decision (ROD) or Finding of No Significant Impact/Decision Record (FONSI/DR) for an individual project.
Solar Energy Projects
Project Name [Developer] (Location) | Technology | Capacity(MW) | BLM Acreage | Peak Jobs | Approval Date | Status | Anticipated Operational Date | Information Products | Imperial Valley Solar Project [Tessera Solar North America] (Imperial County, CA) | Originally planned as solar engine | 709 | 6,360 | N/A | 10/5/10 | Authorization terminated at request of developer | N/A | Map | Lucerne Valley Solar Project [Chevron Energy Solutions] (San Bernardino County, CA) | Thin film PV | 45 | 516 | 48 | 10/5/10 | Terminated effective 12/31/2012 | N/A | Map | Silver State Solar Energy Project (North) [First Solar, Inc.] (Clark County, NV) | Thin film PV | 50 | 618 | 310 | 10/12/10 | In operation | Operations began May 2012 | Fact sheet Map | Ivanpah Solar Electric Generating System (SEGS) [BrightSource Energy] (San Bernardino County, CA) | Power tower | 370 | 3,472 | 2,100 | 10/17/10 | Under construction | May 2013 | Fact sheet Map | Calico Solar Energy Project [acquired by K Road Power] (San Bernardino County, CA) | Originally solar dish; changing to PV | 663.5 | 4,604 | 536 | 10/20/10 | Pending new NEPA because of technology change | November 2013 | Fact sheet Map | Blythe Solar Power Project [Solar Millennium, LLC] (Riverside County, CA) | Originally parabolic trough; changing to PV | 1,000 | 7,025 | 1,361 | 10/22/10 | Pending new NEPA because of technology change | Pending revised Plan of Development | Fact sheet Map | Genesis Solar Energy Project [Solar Millenium, LLC] (Riverside County, CA) | Parabolic trough | 250 | 4,640 | 1,135 | 11/4/10 | Under construction | March 2014 | Fact sheet Map | Amargosa Farm Road Solar Project [Solar Millennium, LLC] (Nye County, NV) | Parabolic trough | 464 | 4,350 | 1,370 | 11/15/10 | Authorization terminated at request of developer | N/A | Map | Crescent Dunes Solar Project [SolarReserve, LLC] (Nye County, NV) | Power tower | 110 | 1,600 | 550 | 12/20/10 | Under construction | December 2013 | Fact sheet Map | Abengoa Mojave Solar [Mojave Solar] (Riverside County, CA) | Parabolic trough | 250 | 0 (connected action) | 890 | 7/11/11 | Under construction | 2014 | Fact Sheet Map | C Solar South [LightSource Renewables] (Imperial County, CA) | Thin film PV | 200 | 0 (connected action) | 255 | 7/14/11 | Approved | June 2013 | Fact Sheet Map | Desert Sunlight Solar Farm [First Solar Development, Inc.] (Riverside County, CA) | Thin film PV | 550 | 4,165 | 645 | 8/9/11 | Under construction | November 2014 | Fact Sheet Map | C Solar West [LightSource Renewables] (Imperial County, CA) | Thin film PV | 250 | 0 (connected action) | 290 | 8/23/11 | Approved | January 2015 | Fact Sheet Map | Rice Solar Energy [Rice Solar Energy, LLC] (Riverside County, CA) | Power tower | 150 | 0 (connected action) | 500 | 12/8/11 | Approved | 2014 | Fact Sheet Map | Sonoran Solar Project [NextEra Energy Resources, LLC] (Maricopa County, AZ) | PV | 300 | 4,000 | 374 | 12/20/11 | Approved | Pending power purchase agreement | Fact Sheet Map | Centinela Solar Energy Project [Centinela Solar Energy, LLC] (Imperial County, CA) | PV | 275 | 0 (connected action) | 367 | 12/28/11 | Under construction | 2014 | Fact Sheet Map | Moapa Solar Project [K Road Power] (Clark County, NV) | PV | 350 | 0 (2,000 acres of Tribal land) | 400 | 6/21/12 | Approved; power purchase agreement approved | By end of 2013 | Fact Sheet Map | Campo Verde Solar Project [Campo Verde Solar, LLC] (Imperial County, CA) | PV | 139 | 0 (connected action) | 250 | 9/26/12 | Approved | By end of 2013 | Fact Sheet Map | Copper Mountain Solar III Project [Sempra] (Clark County, NV) | PV | 220 | 0 (connected action) | | 2/14/13 | Approved | 2014 | | Mountain View Solar Project [NextEra] (Clark County, NV) | PV | 20 | 0 (connected action) | | 2/14/13 | Approved | 2014 | | Desert Harvest Solar Project [EDF Renewable] (Riverside East SEZ, Riverside County, CA) | PV | 150 | 1,208 | 250 | 3/13/13 | Approved | 2014 | Fact Sheet Map | McCoy Solar Project [NextEra] (Riverside East SEZ, Riverside County, CA) | PV | 750 | 7,700 | 503 | 3/13/13 | Approved | 2014 | Fact Sheet Map | Techren Solar [Techren] (Clark County, NV) | PV | 300 | 0 (connected action) | 375 | 3/21/13 | Approved | 2014 | Fact Sheet Map |
Wind Energy Projects
Project Name [Developer] (Location) | Potential Output (MW) | BLM Acreage | Peak Jobs | Approval Date | Status | Anticipated Operational Date | Information Products | Lime Wind Energy Project [Joseph Millworks, Inc.] (Baker County, OR) | 4 | 3 | 10 | 12/17/2009 | In operation | Operations began November 2011 | Finding of No Significant Impact | Spring Valley Wind [Spring Valley Wind, LLC] (White Pine County, NV) | 150 | 7,673 | 237 | 10/15/2010 | In operation | Operations began June 2012 | Fact Sheet
Map | West Butte Wind [West Butte Wind Power] (Crook County, Deschutes County, OR) | 104 | 0 (connected action) | 415 | 7/14/11 | Approved | 2014 | Fact Sheet MAP | Tule Wind [Iberdrola-Pacific Wind Development] (San Diego County, CA) | 186 | 12,133 (connected action) | 337 | 12/20/11 | Approved | By end of 2013 | Fact Sheet Map | Echanis Wind / North Steens Transmission [Echanis, LLC / Harney Electric Cooperative] (Harney County, OR) | 104 | 0 (connected action) | 415 | 12/28/11 | Approved | By end of 2013 | Fact Sheet Maps | Ocotillo Express Wind Energy Facility [Ocotillo Express LLC (Pattern Energy LP)] (Imperial County, CA) | 315 | 10,151 | 350 | 5/11/12 | In operation | Operations began December 2012 | Fact Sheet Map | Chokecherry and Sierra Madre Wind Energy Project [Power Company of Wyoming, LLC] (Carbon County, WY) | 3,000 | 102,207 | 1,000 | 10/9/12 | Approved | 2014 | Fact Sheet Map | Searchlight Wind Project [Duke Energy] (Clark County, NV) | 200 | 9,300 | 275 | 3/13/13 | Approved | 2014 | Fact Sheet Map |
Geothermal Energy Projects
Project Name [Developer] (Location) | Potential Output (MW) | BLM Acreage | Peak Jobs | Approval Date | Status | Anticipated Operational Date | Information Products | Salt Wells #1 [Enel North America, Inc.] (Churchill County, NV) | 18 | 3,794 | 25 | April 2009 | In operation | Completed | | Blue Mountain Geothermal Power Plant [Nevada Geothermal Power, Inc.] (Humboldt County, NV) | 49 | 5,252 (connected action) | 175 | 10/22/09 | In operation | Completed | Maps and diagrams | Jersey Valley [Ormat Technologies, Inc.] (Pershing and Lander Counties, NV) | 30 | 7,460 (connected action) | 70 | 6/4/10 | In operation | Completed | Map | Coyote Canyon [Terra-Gen Power, LLC] (Churchill County, NV) | 62 | 3,960 | 105 | 3/7/11 | Approved | Pending additional exploration wells | Statewide Map | McGinness Hills° [Ormat Technologies, Inc.] (Lander County, NV) | 90 | 7,680 | 153 | 7/11/11 | In operation | Operations began June 2012 | Fact Sheet Map | Hot Sulfur Springs / Tuscarora° [Ormat Technologies, Inc.] (Elko County, NV) | 15 | 0 (connected action) | 25 | 7/29/11 | In operation | Completed | Map | Salt Wells [Ormat Technologies, Inc.] (Churchill County, NV) | 40 | 6,948 | 85 | 9/28/11 | Approved | December 2014 | Fact Sheet Map | Salt Wells [Gradient Resources. formerly Vulcan Power Company] (Churchill County, NV) | 120 | 15,622 | 270 | 9/28/11 | Approved | December 2014 | Fact Sheet Map | Cove Fort / Sulphurdale [ENEL Cove Fort, LLC] (Millard County, UT) | 30 | 50 | 250 | 10/19/12 | Under construction | December 2013 | Fact Sheet Map | Wild Rose [Ormat Nevada] (Mineral County, NV) | 40 | 10 | 105 | 10/19/12 | Under construction | November 2013 | Map |
Related LinksActive Renewable Energy Projects
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