"The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is considering making 31 million acres of public lands across the western U.S. available for potential solar energy development, according to a proposal published on Thursday.
The Western Solar Plan, which would significantly revise existing 2012 guidelines, would seek to bring such projects to 11 states — bringing development closer to transmission lines or previously disturbed lands, per the proposal.
“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 in a statement.
Chief among the changes was the identification of five new states beyond the original six as prime areas for solar energy. In addition to Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico and Utah, the updated version includes Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Washington and Wyoming."
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