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 | Technology | Capacity(MW) | BLM Acreage | Peak Jobs | Approval | Status | Anticipated Operational Date | Information |
Imperial Valley Solar Project | Originally planned as solar engine | 709 | 6,360 | N/A | Authorization terminated at request of developer | N/A | ||
| Lucerne Valley Solar Project [Chevron Energy Solutions] (San Bernardino County, CA) | Thin film PV | 45 | 516 | 48 | Terminated effective 12/31/2012 | N/A | ||
| Silver State Solar Energy Project (North) [First Solar, Inc.] (Clark County, NV) | Thin film PV | 50 | 618 | 310 | Operations began May 2012 | |||
Ivanpah Solar Electric | Power tower | 370 | 3,472 | 2,100 | Under | May 2013 | ||
Calico Solar Energy Project | Originally solar dish; changing to PV | 663.5 | 4,604 | 536 | Pending new NEPA because of technology change | November 2013 | ||
Blythe Solar Power Project | Originally parabolic trough; changing to PV | 1,000 | 7,025 | 1,361 | Pending new NEPA because of technology change | Pending revised Plan of Development | ||
Genesis Solar Energy Project | Parabolic trough | 250 | 4,640 | 1,135 | Under construction | March 2014 | ||
Amargosa Farm Road Solar Project | Parabolic trough | 464 | 4,350 | 1,370 | Authorization terminated at request of developer | N/A | ||
Crescent Dunes Solar Project | Power tower | 110 | 1,600 | 550 | Under construction | December 2013 | ||
| Abengoa Mojave Solar [Mojave Solar] (Riverside County, CA) | Parabolic trough | 250 | 0 | 890 | Under | 2014 | ||
| C Solar South [LightSource Renewables] (Imperial County, CA) | Thin film PV | 200 | 0 | 255 | Approved | June 2013 | ||
Desert Sunlight Solar Farm | Thin film PV | 550 | 4,165 | 645 | Under | November 2014 | ||
| C Solar West [LightSource Renewables] (Imperial County, CA) | Thin film PV | 250 | 0 | 290 | Approved | January 2015 | ||
Rice Solar Energy | Power tower | 150 | 0 | 500 | Approved | 2014 | ||
Sonoran Solar Project | PV | 300 | 4,000 | 374 | Approved | Pending power purchase agreement | ||
Centinela Solar Energy Project | PV | 275 | 0 | 367 | Under construction | 2014 | ||
| Moapa Solar Project [K Road Power] (Clark County, NV) | PV | 350 | 0 | 400 | Approved; power purchase agreement approved | By end of 2013 | ||
Campo Verde Solar Project | PV | 139 | 0 | 250 | Approved | By end of 2013 | ||
| Copper Mountain Solar III Project [Sempra] (Clark County, NV) | PV | 220 | 0 | 2/14/13 | Approved | 2014 | ||
| Mountain View Solar Project [NextEra] (Clark County, NV) | PV | 20 | 0 | 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 | |
| McCoy Solar Project [NextEra] (Riverside East SEZ, Riverside County, CA) | PV | 750 | 7,700 | 503 | 3/13/13 | Approved | 2014 | |
| Techren Solar [Techren] (Clark County, NV) | PV | 300 | 0 | 375 | Approved | 2014 |
Wind Energy Projects
Project Name | Potential | BLM | Peak Jobs | Approval Date | Status | Anticipated Operational Date | Information |
Lime Wind Energy Project | 4 | 3 | 10 | 12/17/2009 | In operation | Operations began November 2011 | Finding of No Significant Impact |
Spring Valley Wind | 150 | 7,673 | 237 | 10/15/2010 | In operation | Operations began June 2012 | |
West Butte Wind | 104 | 0 | 415 | Approved | 2014 | ||
| Tule Wind [Iberdrola-Pacific Wind Development] (San Diego County, CA) | 186 | 12,133 | 337 | Approved | By end of 2013 | ||
| Echanis Wind / North Steens Transmission [Echanis, LLC / Harney Electric Cooperative] (Harney County, OR) | 104 | 0 | 415 | Approved | By end of 2013 | Fact Sheet | |
| Ocotillo Express Wind Energy Facility [Ocotillo Express LLC (Pattern Energy LP)] (Imperial County, CA) | 315 | 10,151 | 350 | In operation | Operations began December 2012 | ||
Chokecherry and Sierra Madre Wind Energy Project | 3,000 | 102,207 | 1,000 | 10/9/12 | Approved | 2014 | |
| Searchlight Wind Project [Duke Energy] (Clark County, NV) | 200 | 9,300 | 275 | 3/13/13 | Approved | 2014 |
Geothermal Energy Projects
Project Name | Potential Output (MW) | BLM Acreage | Peak Jobs | Approval Date | Status | Anticipated Operational Date | Information |
Salt Wells #1 | 18 | 3,794 | 25 | April 2009 | In operation | Completed | |
| Blue Mountain Geothermal Power Plant [Nevada Geothermal Power, Inc.] (Humboldt County, NV) | 49 | 5,252 | 175 | In operation | Completed | ||
| Jersey Valley [Ormat Technologies, Inc.] (Pershing and Lander Counties, NV) | 30 | 7,460 | 70 | 6/4/10 | In operation | Completed | |
| Coyote Canyon [Terra-Gen Power, LLC] (Churchill County, NV) | 62 | 3,960 | 105 | Approved | Pending additional exploration wells | ||
| McGinness Hills° [Ormat Technologies, Inc.] (Lander County, NV) | 90 | 7,680 | 153 | 7/11/11 | In operation | Operations began June 2012 | |
| Hot Sulfur Springs / Tuscarora° [Ormat Technologies, Inc.] (Elko County, NV) | 15 | 0 | 25 | 7/29/11 | In operation | Completed | |
| Salt Wells [Ormat Technologies, Inc.] (Churchill County, NV) | 40 | 6,948 | 85 | Approved | December 2014 | ||
| Salt Wells [Gradient Resources. formerly Vulcan Power Company] (Churchill County, NV) | 120 | 15,622 | 270 | Approved | December 2014 | ||
Cove Fort / Sulphurdale | 30 | 50 | 250 | 10/19/12 | Under construction | December 2013 | |
| Wild Rose [Ormat Nevada] (Mineral County, NV) | 40 | 10 | 105 | 10/19/12 | Under construction | November 2013 |
Related Links
Active Renewable Energy Projects
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