BLM gives increased priority to 5 geothermal projects in U.S.

Reported from the U.S., “The Bureau of Land Management will be giving increased priority to 19 renewable energy projects in the West this year, including four in Nevada.

The move is part of attempts to diversify the nation’s energy portfolio in an environmentally responsible manner, said Bob Abbey, BLM director. The classification, which was made in cooperation with the Fish and Wildlife Service and the National Park Service, will help speed up the development of the utility-scale projects on the list.

“The process of screening for priority projects is about focusing our staff and resources on the most promising renewable energy projects,” Abbey said in a statement.

The list comprises nine solar, five wind and five geothermal projects. To be included for the list, projects must be ready for environmental review and the public participation process, and must also have the potential to be cleared for approval by the end of the year. They also must be located in an area that minimizes potential environmental impacts.

One of the four Nevada sites, the Terra-Gen project at Coyote Canyon, was approved March 7. The other three sites are the Ormat Salt Wells project, the Vulcan Salt Walls project and the Sierra Pacific Fallon/Salt Wells project. All four sites are in Churchill County.”

Source: RGJ