Dive Summary:
- The U.S. Interior Department has approved the building of three renewable energy projects in Nevada and Arizona, totaling 520 megawatts (MW) of electricity.
- The projects include the 350MW Midland Solar Energy Project and 70MW New York Canyon Geothermal Project in Nevada, and the 100MW Quartzsite Solar Energy Project in Arizona. "These projects reflect the Obama Administration's commitment to expand responsible domestic energy production on our public lands and diversify our nation's energy portfolio," said Sally Jewell, the Secretary of Interior. "Today's approvals will help bolster rural economies by generating good jobs and reliable power and advance our national energy security."
- Since 2009, the Interior has approved 25 utility-scale solar facilities, nine wind farms and 11 geothermal plants, with associated transmission corridors and infrastructure to connect to established power grids. Once built, these projects can deliver 12,500MW of power, or enough electricity to power more than 4.4 million homes.
From the article:
“Interior's Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has identified an additional 15 active renewable energy proposals slated for review this year and next. The BLM identified these projects through a process that emphasizes early consultation and collaboration with its sister agencies at Interior - the Bureau of Indian Affairs, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and the National Park Service.”