US looks to accelerate solar deployment on public land in the West, 1GW planned in Arizona

Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
Reddit
Email
An operational solar project in Ohio, one of the states the BLM is targeting. Image: United Renewable Energy.

US Secretary of The Interior Deb Haaland has announced plans to expand solar deployment on public lands across the west of the country, including three major solar projects in Arizona representing just under 1GW of capacity.  

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM), an agency within the Department of the Interior, has initiated reviews of the proposed projects. The Jove solar project, in southeastern La Paz county, has a proposed capacity of 600MW over 3,495 acres of public land. Additionally, the 250MW Pinyon solar project and the 300MW Elisabeth solar project will also be subject to review. 4,400 acres of public land have been segregated for two years for these projects.

This article requires Premium SubscriptionBasic (FREE) Subscription

Unlock unlimited access for 12 whole months of distinctive global analysis

Photovoltaics International is now included.

  • Regular insight and analysis of the industry’s biggest developments
  • In-depth interviews with the industry’s leading figures
  • Unlimited digital access to the PV Tech Power journal catalogue
  • Unlimited digital access to the Photovoltaics International journal catalogue
  • Access to more than 1,000 technical papers
  • Discounts on Solar Media’s portfolio of events, in-person and virtual

Or continue reading this article for free

The BLM will also update its solar Programmatic Environmental Impact System (PEIS) to encourage and expand clean energy expansion across the western US. Introduced in 2012, the PEIS aimed to highlight areas with high solar potential and low resource conflict across six states: Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico and Utah.

In a public release, the BLM said that its updated version will consider new states, altered exclusion criteria and expanded areas for solar deployment in light of new technology and more ambitious clean energy goals.

Secretary Haaland said: “Our review of these proposed projects in Arizona, and a new analysis of the role public lands can play in furthering solar energy production, will help ensure we keep the momentum going to build a clean energy future, lower costs for families and create robust conservation outcomes on the nation’s lands and waters.”

Principal deputy assistant secretary Laura Daniel-Davis said: “The Bureau of Land Management is working diligently to ensure that its processes and pace maintain the momentum we are seeing from industry.”

Last month, EE North America announced a 2GW pipeline of projects for Arizona and the surrounding states in partnership with Elio Energy. Plans were also revealed for a 3GW pipeline across the PJM region through a joint venture between OYA Renewables and Oil Well Shares.

Broad expansions like these are expected to continue in the US solar sector, in no small part due to the Inflation Reduction Act, which Rystad Energy said is due to add US$110 billion in utility-scale solar investment by 2030. The American Clean Power Association reported that the US saw a 23% fall year-on-year in Q3 utility-scale instalments.

7 October 2025
San Francisco Bay Area, USA
PV Tech has been running an annual PV CellTech Conference since 2016. PV CellTech USA, on 7-8 October 2025 is our third PV CellTech conference dedicated to the U.S. manufacturing sector. The events in 2023 and 2024 were a sell out success and 2025 will once again gather the key stakeholders from PV manufacturing, equipment/materials, policy-making and strategy, capital equipment investment and all interested downstream channels and third-party entities. The goal is simple: to map out PV manufacturing in the U.S. out to 2030 and beyond.
21 October 2025
New York, USA
Returning for its 12th edition, Solar and Storage Finance USA Summit remains the annual event where decision-makers at the forefront of solar and storage projects across the United States and capital converge. Featuring the most active solar and storage transactors, join us for a packed two-days of deal-making, learning and networking.
16 June 2026
Napa, USA
PV Tech has been running PV ModuleTech Conferences since 2017. PV ModuleTech USA, on 16-17 June 2026, will be our fifth PV ModulelTech conference dedicated to the U.S. utility scale solar sector. The event will gather the key stakeholders from solar developers, solar asset owners and investors, PV manufacturing, policy-making and and all interested downstream channels and third-party entities. The goal is simple: to map out the PV module supply channels to the U.S. out to 2027 and beyond.

Read Next

July 1, 2025
Independent power producer (IPP) Arevon Energy has closed a US$600 million credit facility to support its solar PV and energy storage portfolio in the US.
July 1, 2025
French private equity firm Ardian Clean Energy Evergreen Fund (ACEEF) has bought 117 solar PV plants, worth 116MW of total capacity in several locations in Italy.
July 1, 2025
A five-year research initiative is underway in Australia to test the viability of floating solar systems on irrigation dams.
June 30, 2025
Heliene has completed the sale of Section 45X Advanced Manufacturing Production Tax Credits in association with Minnesota-based U.S. Bank.
June 30, 2025
Voting on the US tax reconciliation bill is expected to begin in the Senate today, following a draft published on Friday that hit clean energy tax credits hard.
June 30, 2025
US clean energy developer Clearway Energy Group has received corporate credit facilities over US$1 billion.

Subscribe to Newsletter

Upcoming Events

Solar Media Events
July 1, 2025
London, UK
Solar Media Events
July 1, 2025
London, UK
Media Partners, Solar Media Events
July 2, 2025
Bangkok, Thailand
Media Partners, Solar Media Events
September 2, 2025
Mexico City, Mexico
Solar Media Events
September 16, 2025
Athens, Greece