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From the Daily Caller: The Biden administration proposed to open up tens of millions of acres of public lands to solar development on Thursday after cementing restrictions on oil and gas activity across large swaths of Alaska.
The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) rolled out its proposed “Western Solar Plan,” which would put approximately 31 million acres across 11 western states on the table for possible solar development. The agency’s solar plan comes on the heels of its Tuesday announcement that it had finalized protections for 28 million acres of public land in Alaska that will effectively prohibit oil and gas activity on that acreage.
“The updated Western Solar Plan is a responsible, pragmatic strategy for developing solar energy on our nation’s public lands that supports national clean energy goals and long-term national energy security,” BLM Director Tracy Stone-Manning said of the Western Solar Plan. “It will drive responsible solar development to locations with fewer potential conflicts while helping the nation transition to a clean energy economy, furthering the BLM’s mission to sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of public lands for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations.”
The Western Solar Plan does not specifically authorize any particular solar projects, according to the Bureau of Land Management.
“No solar developments are authorized through this planning effort; proposed projects will still undergo site-specific environmental review and public comment. This Final Utility-Scale Solar Energy Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement follows a draft published in January 2024 for public comment, with input from a wide range of stakeholders helping BLM to make additional updates that will help protect wildlife habitats and migration corridors and other key resources, while providing clarity to industry about low-conflict areas and project design approaches to guide responsible development,” the BLM stated in a press release.
“Today, we’re proud to announce our proposed roadmap for solar energy development on public lands, designed to ensure efficient and environmentally responsible solar project permitting across the West,” the BLM announced Thursday.
Today, we’re proud to announce our proposed roadmap for solar energy development on public lands, designed to ensure efficient and environmentally responsible solar project permitting across the West.
Learn more: https://t.co/pDc3D8LQmR. @interior pic.twitter.com/U3bH33tMMr
— Bureau of Land Management – National (@BLMNational) August 29, 2024
Biden Admin Looks To Open Up 31 Million Acres For Solar After Locking Up Oil, Gas In Huge Swath Of Alaska: ‘A responsible, pragmatic strategy’ https://t.co/l3KqJb7i41 pic.twitter.com/baI0J6COou
— Janie Johnson – America is Exceptional (@jjauthor) August 29, 2024
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