US secretary of the interior Sally Jewell has approved three solar PV projects with a total capacity of 440MW in Clark County, Nevada.
The three projects, producing enough electricity to power around 132,000 homes, are Invenergy’s Harry Allen Solar Energy Center, First Solar’s Playa Solar Project and NV Energy’s Dry Lake Solar Energy Center.
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The projects were submitted for approval after a competitive auction held on 30 June 2014, worth US$5.8 million. This was part of the permitting process of the Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM) Western Solar Plan.
Under the Western Solar Plan, 17 Solar Energy Zones were established on 298,000 acres of public land. This was intended to allow for a more efficient and predictable permitting process by focusing development in the solar energy zones with the highest resource potential and lowest environmental conflicts.
The BLM requires mitigation measures to avoid or minimise adverse environmental impacts from the installations.
Reviews of the projects were complete in less than 10 months.
Jewell said: “Through thoughtful planning and upfront public participation, these solar projects demonstrate we can reduce permitting times, create certainty for energy developers, and achieve better outcomes for communities and the environment. Through a landscape-level approach, we are cutting carbon pollution and creating jobs through responsible solar development on our public lands.”
