Search Results for keywords:"renewable energy development"

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has released a draft amendment and environmental impact statement concerning changes to the California Desert Conservation Area Plan and associated resource management plans. The proposal includes revising the management of 129 Areas of Critical Environmental Concern and adjusting land use to support renewable energy development while considering conservation. Public comments on this draft are invited within 90 days of its announcement in the Federal Register. The draft and related materials are available online, with public comment options listed for both online and mail submission.

NOAA's National Ocean Service, in collaboration with several agencies, is seeking public input to identify data for transmission planning in the Gulf of Mexico off Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama. This Request for Information aims to improve coastal and marine spatial studies, focusing on offshore wind and transmission planning. The public can provide feedback through written comments or by participating in a public meeting in New Orleans on January 14-15, 2025. The feedback will help NOAA understand data needs and gaps for marine spatial planning and engage better with communities.

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has announced that 1,920 acres of public land in Millard County, Utah, are set aside for the Neptune Solar Project. This land is segregated to prevent other uses under public land laws or the Mining Law of 1872, but is still available for leasing under the mineral and geothermal laws. The segregation will last for up to two years, during which the BLM will consider the right-of-way application for solar energy development. The goal is to manage the area effectively while decisions are made about the renewable energy project.

The Department of the Interior has proposed changes to the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) procedures to introduce a new categorical exclusion for geothermal resource exploration by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM). This change aims to make it easier and faster to approve exploration projects that typically do not have significant environmental impacts, thus supporting renewable energy development on public lands. Comments on this proposal are due by February 18, 2025. The BLM has reviewed past projects and determined that the new exclusion is justified because these activities have historically shown no significant environmental effects.

The Bureau of Land Management is temporarily setting aside 6,239 acres of public land in Clark County, Nevada, for the Bonanza Solar Project. This segregation prevents the land from being used for mining and other public land laws for two years, but still allows for valid existing rights and potential renewable energy development. The separation is meant to ensure smooth management and decision-making for the use of these public lands. After two years, the lands may be reopened for public use unless the segregation is extended or the project is approved or denied.