Full Speed Ahead for Large Solar Projects in Colorado and the West

Article Source: Heartland Energy Colorado

LAS VEGAS – Under initiatives announced Monday by Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar and U.S. Senator Harry Reid (D-NV), federal agencies will work with western leaders to designate tracts of U.S. public lands in the West as prime zones for utility-scale solar energy development, fund environmental studies, open new solar energy permitting offices and speed reviews of industry proposals.

The Interior Department is setting aside 676,048 acres for solar study zones, one of several steps it is taking to fast-track the development of solar energy on public lands. According to Interior Secretary Salazar, the federal actions will enable 13 commercial-scale solar plants to be under construction by the end of next year, creating 50,000 jobs.

“President Obama’s comprehensive energy strategy calls for rapid development of renewable energy, especially on America’s public lands,” said Secretary Salazar. “This environmentally-sensitive plan will identify appropriate Interior-managed lands that have excellent solar energy potential and limited conflicts with wildlife, other natural resources or land users. The two dozen areas we are evaluating could generate nearly 100,000 megawatts of solar electricity. With coordinated environmental studies, good land-use planning and zoning and priority processing, we can accelerate responsible solar energy production that will help build a clean-energy economy for the 21^st century.”

“It’s about time to make the permitting process more efficient and provide greater guidance to solar developers,” Rhone Resch, president of the Solar Energy Industries Association, said in a statement.

Under one initiative, 24 tracts of Bureau of Land Management-administered land located in six western states — Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico and Utah, known as Solar Energy Study Areas, would be fully evaluated for their environmental and resource suitability for large-scale solar energy production. The objective is to provide landscape-scale planning and zoning for solar projects on BLM lands in the West, allowing a more efficient process for permitting and siting responsible solar development.

Nearly 21,000 acres in the San Luis Valley of Colorado are being set aside for solar projects that could generate up to 4,100 megawatts of electricity — equal to 10 medium-size coal-fired power plants, according to federal estimates.

The BLM and the Energy Department filed a notice now available on the Federal Register, announcing the availability of maps that show the areas to be analyzed in their joint programmatic environmental impact statement and soliciting public comment. The federal agency also it will continue processing existing renewable energy applications within and outside the zones while the broader environmental analyses take place. The agency will continue accepting applications, but any filed after June 30th will be subject to applicable decisions made from the environmental analysis.

Those areas selected would be available for projects capable of producing 10 or more megawatts of electricity for distribution to customers through the transmission grid system. Companies that propose projects on that scale in areas already approved for this type of development would be eligible for priority processing. The BLM may also decide to use alternative competitive or non-competitive procedures in processing new solar applications for these areas.

Currently BLM has received about 470 renewable energy project applications. Those include 158 active solar applications, covering 1.8 million acres, with a projected capacity to generate 97,000 megawatts of electricity. That’s enough to power 29 million homes, the equivalent of 29 percent of the nation’s household electrical consumption.

As part of this initiative, the BLM will segregate the study areas from new mining claims and other actions initiated by third parties under public land laws. This temporary 2-year segregation will give BLM time to complete its environmental review and make a determination on solar energy zones. It will not affect rights established prior to the temporary segregation. The public will have the opportunity to comment on these proposed solar energy study areas during the environmental reviews before any final decisions are made. The evaluation is expected to be completed in late 2010.

An ongoing federally-funded environmental evaluation of potential solar energy development on public lands in 6 Western States, known as the Solar Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement, or PEIS, will be expanded to include an in-depth analysis of the potential impacts of utility-scale solar energy development on public lands in the 24 Solar Energy Study Areas. This enhancement will be supported by additional federal funding under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

This expanded evaluation, a collaborative effort with the Department of Energy, will allow the Bureau of Land Management to take a close look at each study area to determine where it makes sense to develop large-scale solar projects in an environmentally responsible way. Colorado companies proposing solar energy projects in designated areas would be able to “tier” to this study, using it as part of their environmental impact studies for site-specific projects, which are required by the National Environmental Policy Act.

Reported by Ann Rascalli (Additional information on the BLM’s renewable energy program is available at www.blm.gov)

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Colorado Getting $4.7M from Stimulus for Appliance Rebates

Submitted by: Heartland Energy Colorado

Colorado will get $4,739,253 in federal stimulus funds for a rebate program to promote the purchase of energy-efficient appliances.

The money -- to be distributed through the state -- will be paid to those who buy appliances rated under the federal "Energy Star" program, according to a joint announcement from Colorado's two U.S. senators, Mark Udall and Michael Bennet.

"The state will determine how to structure the rebate program," the senators' announcement said.

The appliance rebate program was authorized by Congress in 2005 but was not funded. The stimulus program -- formally known as the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 -- appropriated $300 million for the program.

Colorado and other states must tell federal officials by Oct. 15 how they plan to distribute the rebates in their own states, including which appliances will be covered, how large the rebates will be and how old appliances will be recycled. The states' initial application for the money is due Aug. 15.

Colorado Energy News Launches “Energy Leadership Series

Published by: Heartland Energy Colorado

The leading news and information hub for Colorado’s energy industry is providing overdue recognition to the organizations out in front on energy innovation and development in the state.

Basalt, CO (PRWEB) September 9, 2008 — Colorado is ground zero for energy development in the 21st century, and now the companies and organizations that are helping propel it forward will be recognized in a new Energy Leadership Series sponsored by Colorado Energy News.

ColoradoEnergyNews.com delivers the most comprehensive coverage of the business, politics and technology of the state’s rapidly growing energy industry, including the latest developments in oil and gas, renewables and power generation. The website includes streaming video channels with energy-specific content, including Going Green, Pain at the Pump and Bloomberg Energy News.

“From traditional oil and gas developers on the Western Slope to new solar and wind power projects along the Front Range, Colorado-based companies are creating thousands of jobs and contributing to the state’s emerging position as a leader in both traditional and new energy markets,” says Executive Editor, David Hill.

Natural gas development has become a major energy driver in the Rocky Mountains and Colorado in particular. Piceance Basin in the western part of the state is one of the largest gas fields in the country, fits in perfectly with T. Boone Pickens’ ambitious plan to reduce America’s dependence on foreign oil. With the state’s boom in gas production has come public policy and environmental issues, which visitors to ColoradoEnergyNews.com can read about daily. The Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission is addressing many of these issues by developing new rules for oil and gas operations in the state, scheduled to become law this fall.

Another important story reported in Colorado Energy News is the Ritter Administration’s drive to attract renewable energy investment, which is paying off with companies, such as Swedish wind turbine manufacturer Vestas, constructing new facilities along the Front Range and adding hundreds of jobs. “Colorado should be a model for the world and the U.S. of what can be done in a state when everyone teams up to push for clean energy,” says Roby Roberts, senior vice president of external relations for Vestas America.

State law requiring large utilities to generate 20 percent of their electricity from solar, wind or biomass sources by 2020 is another key factor propelling Colorado’s new energy economy. Xcel Energy, the state’s largest utility company supplying more than 70 percent of the electricity, appears on track to meet the target with several years to spare.

Adding to a highly favorable environment for energy development is Colorado’s rich academic tradition. The state is home to several prominent energy-related education and research institutions, including the National Renewable Energy Laboratory in Golden; the Colorado School of Mines; Colorado State University, which has a major alternative energy curriculum; and Colorado University in Boulder.

“With our Energy Leadership Series, Colorado Energy News is shining the spotlight on those organizations making a difference in our economy and quality of life,” explains Hill.

“As Colorado goes, so goes the nation. It is an exciting time to be involved with energy and we look forward to sharing with our readers the cutting edge companies that are helping Colorado lead the way in energy solutions.”