The US Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has approved the Arica and Victory Pass solar projects near Desert Center in eastern Riverside County, California.
Combined, the two projects could generate up to 465MW of power with up to 400MW of battery storage.
These are the first projects to be located within areas identified as suitable for renewable energy development as part of the BLM’s Desert Renewable Energy Conservation Plan.
These renewable energy projects will result in a combined infrastructure investment of about $689m (€610m), $5.9m in annual operational economic benefit, and power approximately 132,000 homes.
The BLM’s approval authorizes Clearway Energy Group a right-of-way to construct, operate, maintain, and decommission two separate photovoltaic solar facilities in a reduced footprint to avoid sensitive resources.
BLM director Tracy Stone-Manning said: “Renewable energy projects like Arica and Victory Pass on public lands create good-paying jobs and are crucial in achieving the Biden-Harris administration’s goal of a carbon pollution-free power sector by 2035.
“Investing in clean and reliable renewable energy represents the BLM’s commitment for addressing climate change and supports Congress’ direction in the Energy Act of 2020 to permit 25 gigawatts of solar, wind, and geothermal production on public lands no later than 2025.”
The BLM is committed to making significant contributions to the nation’s renewable energy portfolio, identifying portions of public lands that have excellent solar and wind energy potential and significant geothermal energy resources.
The Desert Renewable Energy Conservation Plan is focused on 10.8 million acres of public lands in the desert regions of seven California counties and is a landscape-level plan that streamlines renewable energy development, while conserving unique and valuable desert ecosystems and providing outdoor recreation opportunities.
To approve these sites for renewable energy projects, the Department of the Interior and the BLM work with Tribal governments, local communities, state regulators, industry and other federal agencies.