Biden Admin fast tracks solar projects on federal land
By
Bonner Cohen, Ph. D.
|
September 12th, 2024
Eager to push its decarbonization agenda before its term expires in January, the Biden administration is speeding up the issuance for permits for solar projects, along with their supporting infrastructure, on millions of acres of federal land across the West.
In an Aug. 28 announcement, the White House said the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) had identified 31 million acres (over 48,400 square miles) of federal land in 11 states deemed suitable for solar development. The states are Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Washington, and Wyoming.
‘Environmental Justice’
A press release issued by BLM brimmed with enthusiasm for the agency’s plans for solar development, putting it in the context of the White House’s larger energy agenda.
“The proposed Western Solar Plan builds on President Biden’s Investing in America agenda, which is working to transition the nation to clean energy, lower energy costs to consumers, create good-paying union jobs, tackle the climate crisis, and advance clean air and environmental justice priorities, with the goal of achieving a 100-percent clean-electricity grid by 2035,” the administration said.
https://www.cfact.org/2024/09/12/biden-admin-fast-tracks-solar-projects-on-federal-land/
