BLM seeks comment on use of public land for large solar-energy projects - Business First of Buffalo:

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The land management agency that 24 larges tracts of federal land in the West includingnearly 21,000 acres in Colorado’sz San Luis Valley — wouldd be studied for their solar power potential. Other statea involved are California, Nevada, Arizona, Utah and New The goal is to speed projecy permittingfor utility-scale solar power The 24 tracts — known as Solar Energy Study Areas, totaling 670,000 acres — will be evaluateds for their environmental and resource suitability for large-scals solar energy production.
In Colorado, the three areas in the San Luis Valley that will be part of the study couls generate upto 4,182 megawatts of sola power if fully developed, according to the , whichy oversees BLM. Areas deemed suitable for large solar powetr projects would be availabled for companies to build installations with a capacity of 10 megawattssor more. Companies proposing projects in thesew areas would be eligible for fasterdpermit processing, the department said.
The land in the Solae Energy Study Areas will be looked at as part of anexistingh solar-power environmental impact study the department is conductinv in six Western An in-depth environmental review is being paid for with monet from the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act, the announcementf said. BLM said last month it has receivex 158 applications for solar power projects on federal lands inthe West. In Colorado, BLM is seeking comment on potentiao solar development of lands in the DeTillwa Gulch, Los Mogotes Antonito Southeast, and Fourmile East areas of southernj Colorado. BLM manages 256 million acrex of federalpublic land, including more than 8 milliojn in Colorado. in PDF format.
The publif comment period endsJuly 30.