DOI finalizes Western Solar Plan, includes state of Wyoming
On Dec. 20, 2024, the Department of the Interior (DOI) announced an updated Western Solar Plan to promote efficient and environmentally-åresponsible solar energy permitting on public lands throughout the West.
The DOI’s initiatives regarding clean energy on public lands are overseen by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), and since 2021, the BLM has approved 45 renewable energy projects on public lands, surpassing its goal of permitting 25 gigawatts of renewable energy by 2025.
According to the DOI, the updated plan aims to guide the placement of solar energy proposals in areas with fewer resource conflicts and seeks to advance the nation’s growing clean energy economy, reduce energy costs for consumers, create well-paying jobs, address the climate crisis and support clean air and environmental justice priorities.
This effort aligns with the overall goal of achieving a 100-percent clean electricity grid by 2035.
The DOI states, “The updated Western Solar Plan identifies the availability of over 31 million acres of public lands across the 11 western states for utility-scale solar project applications. However, only approximately 700,000 of those acres are anticipated to be developed by 2045 to meet projected demand.”
The original Western Solar Plan included six southwestern states – Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico and Utah.
With the update, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Washington and Wyoming have been added.
The updated Western Solar Plan’s approval follows the publication of a draft plan in January 2024 and a proposed plan in August 2024.
It reflects input received from a diverse group of stakeholders, governments and other interested parties throughout the process.
The proposed plan also underwent a 30-day public protest period and a 60-day governor’s consistency review before the BLM decided to approve it.
Plan support
This action builds on dozens of executive actions the Biden-Harris administration has taken to accelerate and improve federal permitting to deliver more projects more quickly.
“The plan seeks to guide solar project development by identifying lands near transmission lines and previously disturbed lands as available for project applications, while excluding sensitive areas like specially-protected lands, lands containing important cultural resources and critical wildlife habitat,” states the DOI press release.
It further notes this will help ensure responsible development, speed up the permitting process and provide greater predictability to the solar energy industry.
“Under the Biden-Harris administration, the DOI has moved at the pace needed to meet the moment and swiftly grow a robust and sustainable clean energy economy while protecting precious resources in America’s public lands. With an updated Western Solar Plan, created with extensive input from the public, DOI will ensure the responsible development of solar energy across the West for decades to come,” states DOI Secretary Deb Haaland in the press release.
Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Land and Minerals Management Dr. Steve Feldgus adds, “Solar energy is an affordable and fast-growing component of the nation’s modern power supply and is helping the U.S. build a strong and resilient clean energy economy. The updated Western Solar Plan will ensure solar project permitting is more efficient and offers clarity for project developers, while maintaining flexibility to adapt to local needs and concerns.”
Overall, the BLM has permitted clean energy projects on public lands with a total capacity of more than 33 gigawatts – enough to power over 15 million homes.
In 2024, the BLM also issued a final Renewable Energy Rule, which lowers consumer energy costs and the cost of developing solar and wind projects, while improving the project application processes, creating jobs and incentivizing developers to continue responsibly developing solar and wind projects on public lands.
Opposition to the plan
Late last year, U.S. Rep. Harriet Hageman (R-WY) responded to the plan stating, “This proposal will severely impact Wyoming, as one-half of our state’s surface lands are federally managed. The plan blocks off large swaths of lands for the installation of environmentally-unfriendly solar panels, eliminating the ability to graze, mine or produce fossil fuels – all the things America needs to drive down costs of energy, food and housing.”
Western Caucus Chairman Dan Newhouse (R-WA), along with Hageman, led nine additional Western Caucus members in a letter to the BLM in September 2024, requesting the agency withdraw its proposed updated Western Solar Plan.
“The proposed Western Solar Plan is another Biden-Harris administration policy detrimental to communities across the West,” states Newhouse. “This plan risks violating the multiple-use mandate for public lands established by the Federal Land Policy and Management Act and threatens valuable grazing lands while also elevating.”
According to U.S. Rep. Matt Rosendale (R-MT), the agency’s plan will lock up 572,479 acres of public land in Montana alone for solar development, creating a “multitude of problems” for wildlife, the environment and the livelihood of citizens in Montana.
He says, “I’m concerned the Western Solar Plan violates the Taylor Grazing Act, which regulates grazing on public lands and will produce intermittent energy in places where it will still need to be transmitted hundreds, and in some cases, thousands of miles before it can be used.”
Other lawmakers in Western states have also expressed concern over BLM’s plan for solar development, including U.S. Sens. John Barrasso and Cynthia Lummis (both R-WY), Jim Risch and Mike Crapo (both R-ID), Steve Daines (R-MT) and Mike Lee (R-UT), as it could disrupt grazing, mineral development and recreation.
In addition, American Clean Power Chief Policy Officer Frank Macchiarola mentions in a statement, “It’s disappointing BLM did not finalize a more balanced approach to development and conservation. The solar industry has consistently raised concerns during this process about the impact of land exclusions and project design features which are not even remotely addressed by this decision.”
He continues, “This final decision represents a missed opportunity to deliver benefits to the U.S. economy and our energy security and reliability by helping pending and future projects get approved on an appropriate timeline.”
Melissa Anderson is the editor of the Wyoming Livestock Roundup. Send comments on this article to roundup@wylr.net.
