The Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM) final Western Solar Plan could reshape Nevada’s landscape, designating nearly one-fifth of the state’s public lands for potential large-scale solar development.
Released on Thursday, August 29, the plan identifies approximately 18,000 square miles, or 11.8 million acres—about 17 percent of Nevada’s public lands—for five-megawatt solar projects or more. Only 15 percent of the state’s BLM-administered lands are available now for solar development.
While clean-energy advocates and solar developers have lauded the move, conservationists are voicing concerns about the environmental impact and the loss of public land access.
“This plan represents a huge opportunity for Nevada to lead in renewable energy,” said Ben Norris, vice president of regulatory affairs for the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA). “By adding 11 million acres to the original proposal, BLM has clearly listened to the solar industry’s feedback.”
The final plan increases the total acreage available in Nevada but boosts the public land open to solar development across the Western United States from 22 million to 31 million acres. BLM’s projections suggest, however, that only a fraction of this land—up to 700,000 acres—might be needed by 2045 for utility-scale solar projects.
“The overabundance of potential sites provides flexibility for addressing local concerns while maximizing solar siting opportunities,” the BLM noted in its plan.
The agency has also expanded the criteria for suitable land, allowing development on slopes of up to 10 percent (previously 5 percent) and within 15 miles of transmission lines (an increase from 10 miles), while also lowering the required transmission line capacity from 100 kilovolts to 69 kilovolts.
Despite these adjustments, environmental groups worry about the potential consequences for Nevada’s unique ecosystems.
Kevin Emmerich, co-founder of Basin and Range Watch, expressed fears that large-scale solar development could undermine the BLM’s mission of multiple land use by prioritizing corporate interests over public access.
“Large-scale solar energy takes the ‘public’ out of public lands by turning over our treasures to one corporate interest,” Emmerich said in an email.
One area of particular concern is the Amargosa River watershed, where roughly 300,000 acres are now open for potential solar development, including lands near the Ash Meadows National Wildlife Refuge and Death Valley National Park.
Ashley Lee, board president of the Amargosa Conservancy, emphasized the importance of preserving this critical desert ecosystem.
“The Amargosa River watershed is an irreplaceable gem of the Mojave Desert, and we can’t let it be destroyed for industrial energy development,” Lee stated in an email.
The BLM’s new plan is an expansion of its original Western Solar Plan from 2012, which only covered Nevada, Arizona, California, Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah. The updated plan includes Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Washington, and Wyoming.
As of June, the BLM had already permitted 62 solar projects in the Western United States, with 70 additional clean-energy projects under review.
The plan is now open for a 30-day protest period, allowing individuals and groups who have previously commented on the plan to raise further concerns. Once addressed, the BLM will finalize its decision and update its resource management plan.
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