The Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), Department of Energy (DOE); and the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), Department of the Interior (DOI), are preparing a Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (PEIS) to evaluate utility-scale solar energy development, to develop and implement Agency-specific programs that would establish environmental policies and mitigation strategies for solar energy projects, and to amend relevant BLM land use plans with the consideration of establishing a new BLM solar energy development program.
In response to direction from Congress under Title II, Section 211 of the Energy Policy Act of 2005, as well as Executive Order 13212, Actions to Expedite Energy-Related Projects, the Agencies are evaluating whether environmentally responsible utility-scale solar energy projects can be facilitated through developing and implementing agency-specific programs that would establish environmental policies and mitigation strategies for solar energy development. Utility-scale solar energy projects generate electricity that is distributed to consumers through the electric power transmission grid.