Posted on June 15, 2009 by Linda Bullen
On May 2, 2009, Secretary of the Department of the Interior, Ken Salazar held a public meeting just outside Las Vegas, in the Red Rock Canyon National Recreation Area, to announce the opening of four new BLM offices to handle renewable energy permitting. The offices will be located in Nevada, Arizona, California and Wyoming, and have been designed to address the backlog of pending renewable energy project applications. The DOI estimates that 200 solar applications and over 25 wind projects are pending with the BLM in the western states.
I was one of the 25 or so attendees lucky enough to have the honor and privilege to be invited to a meeting with Secretary Salazar prior to the public meeting where this announcement was made. This earlier meeting was attended by developers of solar, wind and geothermal projects and others in the renewable energy industry. I was impressed by Secretary Salazar’s level of knowledge about both renewable projects and the BLM permitting process, as demonstrated by his comments and questions. Secretary Salazar also announced that $305 million in American Recovery and Reinvestment Act(ARRA) monies will be used for BLM projects to restore landscapes, spur renewable energy development on public lands, and create jobs. I left the meeting with confidence in the Secretary’s commitment to renewable energy and to the implementation of changes, policies and programs that will convert renewable energy from a noble goal to a reality.
Linda M. Bullen
Tags: Renewable