The final BLM Solar Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (PEIS) came out August 29 which opens up almost 32 million acres of public land across 11 states to solar development. This very consequential decision defines where large-scale solar farms can and cannot be built across the west. The goal was to free up 700,000 acres of land, but 45 times that amount is being made available, giving solar companies a lot of choice. There is no cap on how much of the nearly 32 million acres can be developed. While relatively little is being opened up in the Eastern Sierra, a significant amount of pristine, public land in Nevada is--nearly 12 million acres! Click here to zoom in on the map -what's marked in green is what is being made available. The Toiyabe Chapter and other environmental groups have filed an objection to the BLM Western Solar Plan in part because of the amount of  land being made available, in part because it includes pristine habitats and high conflict areas, and in part because it will severely impact the protected desert tortoise. 

The criteria allow large-scale solar farms within 15 miles of a 69+ kV transmission line or on any disturbed lands with a slope <10%  that are not a resource-based exclusion area. The resource-based exclusions include already protected lands (e.g., wilderness areas, wild and scenic rivers), lands managed for special purposes (e.g., habitat for endangered species, cultural resources, national recreation areas), and to some extent, big game migration corridors. Nevada has the most BLM land open to solar development with almost 12 million acres, more than double that of any other western state and 1/4 of all BLM land in the state. It is the sacrifice state for the rest of the nation. What is being sacrificed is Nevada's wildlife, its desert tortoises and sage grouse, pristine ecosystems that include unique desert springs with endemic species, cultural resources that will be lost in context, and stunning vistas where valley floors will be seas of solar panels.

Projects that are currently under review such as those that will cover a significant amount of the Pahrump and Amargosa Valleys, will be grandfathered in. On the other hand, ACECs, Areas of Critical Environmental Concern, that have been proposed, one of the resource-based types of exclusions, will not be.  

While we need more solar to reduce greenhouse gases, we also need to limit our thirst for more and more energy. Paving all of Nevada will still not meet the ever growing demand. The tragedy is that our natural world is the first to be sacrificed because it is the fastest and cheapest route and there has been so little effort or investment in rooftop solar or paving already disturbed areas.