Pew Commends Final Western Solar Energy Plan

WASHINGTON—The Pew Charitable Trusts today applauded the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) for finalizing a strong update to its Western solar plan, which will guide solar energy development on public lands across 11 Western states.

The BLM, which stewards more than 245 million acres across the country, announced in late 2022 that it would be updating its Western solar plan. The previous plan, completed in 2012, covered Arizona, California, Colorado, New Mexico, Nevada, and Utah; the updated plan covers those six states plus Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Washington, and Wyoming. After conducting an extensive public scoping process, the BLM released a draft solar programmatic environmental impact statement in January 2024 for public review and comment, followed by a proposed final plan in August, and then the Record of Decision on December 20, 2024.

The Record of Decision makes 31 million acres of public lands available for solar energy while protecting certain landscapes that are environmentally or culturally significant.

Marcia Argust, a director with Pew’s U.S. conservation project, issued this statement:

“Pew applauds the Bureau of Land Management’s updated Western solar plan. The agency listened to stakeholders and developed a balanced plan to advance solar energy projects on public lands by siting them away from sensitive big-game habitats, such as wildlife corridors and calving areas, and cultural sites. We look forward to continuing to work with the BLM to ensure that the best available science and community input, including Indigenous knowledge and updated wildlife migration information, is considered when choosing locations for future solar energy projects.”

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