The U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM) approved a 600 MW solar project in Arizona. The Jove Solar Project is large enough to power roughly 180,000 homes annually, BLM said.
Jove Solar LLC proposed to construct, operate, maintain and eventually decommission a utility-scale solar facility. Plans include the potential for on-site battery energy storage.
The Jove solar project is planned for about 3,495 acres of public land and 38 acres of county lands in La Paz County, Arizona. The project would connect to a 500 kV Cielo Azul switching station and the Ten West Link transmission line. More information on the project can be found on BLM’s register.
“BLM supports efficient development of clean energy on our nation’s public lands to move toward a carbon pollution-free power sector,” said Ray Castro, BLM Yuma field manager. “We will continue to engage with Tribal, federal, state, and local governments, local communities, stakeholder groups, and industry as this project moves toward construction.”
Since 2021, BLM has approved 46 renewable energy projects on public land, including 12 solar projects. It has exceeded its goal of permitting 25 GW of solar by 2025. Overall, BLM has approved more than 34 GW of generating capacity, or enough to power roughly 15.5 million homes.
(Read: “How BLM valances conservation with solar development”)
This year, BLM also issued a final Renewable Energy Rule that will reduce acreage rents and capacity fees for solar and wind energy on public lands. The final rule codifies further reductions in acreage rents and reduces capacity fees by 80%, in comparison to the rates under the 2016 rule, through 2035, and then transitions to a 20% reduction for 2038 and beyond–improving financial predictability for developers pursuing long-term projects on public land.
In late August, the U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM) released a proposed roadmap for development of large-scale solar facilities on public lands. The plan earmarks 31 million acres across 11 states deemed suitable for solar project development. The planning area is located within the states of Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington and Wyoming.
“Through extensive planning and collaboration, we’re not only protecting our public lands but also ensuring that permitting for solar projects moves faster and more efficiently, avoiding conflicts and striking the right balance as we advance clean energy and safeguard the environment,” said BLM principal deputy assistant secretary for land and minerals management, Steve Feldgus.
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