Renewable Energy
Expanding Renewable Energy
Significant portions of BLM public lands have excellent solar, wind, and geothermal energy potential, and the BLM works to provide appropriate sites for environmentally sound development of renewable energy on public lands.
As of November 2021, permitted renewable energy projects on BLM-managed lands included 36 wind, 37 solar, and 48 geothermal projects with a total combined capacity of more than 12 gigawatts of power. Such deployment is crucial in achieving the Biden Administration’s goal of a carbon pollution-free power sector by 2035, as well as Congress’s direction to permit 25 gigawatts of solar, wind, and geothermal energy production on public lands no later than 2025.
Latest Updates
The BLM has released its Draft Solar Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement, which considers updates to the 2012 Western Solar Plan. For more information, please visit the Utility-Scale Solar Energy Development PEIS/RMPA project page.
In addition, the BLM has proposed updates to its Renewable Energy Rule, and is working toward a final rule which should be complete in 2024. Learn more at https://www.blm.gov/renewable-energy-rule.
For more information on the BLM’s efforts to expand renewable energy use, visit our Renewable Energy Program pages below: