Are solar energy development projects permitted on BLM-managed public lands?

Solar energy development projects on BLM-managed public lands are authorized as rights-of-way under Title V of the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976, as amended consistent with appropriate BLM land-use plans. Regulations at 43 CFR 2800 identify requirements for solar development application and permitting.

Can agrivoltaics reduce land-use impacts?

They ain’t making any more of it.”—Will Rogers and/or Mark Twain • While there are potentially other ways (such as “agrivoltaics”) to mitigate the negative land-use impacts of utility-scale PV, the primary way to mitigate the inevitability of rising land costs is to minimize the amount of land needed to generate each MWh of solar energy

Should solar projects be located on public lands?

Additionally, laws enacted in many western states require energy companies to supply a portion of their energy from renewable sources. As a result, the BLM is seeing continued interest by solar developers to locate projects on public lands.

Does solar energy affect land use change?

Although the transition to renewable energies will intensify the global competition for land, the potential impacts driven by solar energy remain unexplored. In this work, the potential solar land requirements and related land use change emissions are computed for the EU, India, Japan and South Korea.

How do utility-scale solar facilities affect land use?

A primary impact of utility-scale solar facilities is the removal of forest or agricultural land from active use. An argument often made by the solar industry is that this preserves the land for future agricultural use, and applicants typically state that the land will be restored to its previous condition.

Can a utility-scale solar facility be used as a land-use permit?

As a land-use application, utility-scale solar facilities are processed as any other land-use permit. Localities use the tools available: the existing comprehensive (general) plan and zoning ordinance. In many cases, however, plans and ordinances do not address this type of use.