Plan moves forward to set aside land for solar power plants
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The federal government is moving ahead with a plan to set aside public land for some large solar power plants. Video by ktnv.com
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Las Vegas, NV (KTNV) -- The federal government is moving ahead with a plan to set aside public land for some large solar power plants.
Interior Secretary Ken Salazar and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid were in town Friday to talk about it.
Salazar said the new roadmap will lead to faster, smarter utility-scale solar development on public land.
The plan replaces the Obama Administration's previous system of approving solar projects on a first-come-first-served basis.
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SAN FRANCISCO (AP) -- Environmental groups are applauding the federal government's new plan setting aside 445 square miles of public land in the West for the development of large-scale solar power plants.
A Nature Conservancy official says the U.S. can develop renewable energy while protecting desert landscapes by building in areas that are more degraded.
The Interior Department will direct solar power development to land it has identified as having fewer wildlife and natural-resource obstacles and that is near power lines.
The 17 new "solar energy zones" will be established in six states: California, Nevada, Arizona, Utah, Colorado and New Mexico.
The plan replaces the department's previous first-come, first-served system of approving solar projects. Secretary of Energy Steven Chu said the effort will help the U.S. stay competitive.
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