Heavy power transmission lines at the Ivanpah Solar Electric Generating System, located in California’s Mojave Desert at the base of Clark Mountain and just south of this Stateline community on Interstate 15, are seen on July 15, 2022 near Primm, Nevada. The Ivanpah system consists of three solar thermal power plants and 173,500 heliostats (mirrors) on 3,500 acres and has a gross capacity of 392 megawatts (MW).
George Rose | Getty Images News | Getty Images
The Interior Department’s Bureau of Land Management said this week that it has upgraded two transmission projects proposed by public utility NV Energy that would facilitate more renewable energy development and distribution in Nevada.
The agency will begin an environmental review for the GreenLink North project, which will cover more than 450 miles to connect Las Vegas to Reno, and release a draft environmental impact statement for the GreenLink West transmission project, which will run from Ely to Yerington. Will cover a distance of 232 miles.
Once completed, the projects will add eight gigawatts of clean energy to the western power grid. These plans will boost the Biden administration’s goal of installing 25 gigawatts of renewable energy on public lands and waters by 2025 and achieving a carbon-free electricity sector by 2035.
The announcement comes as Congress debates allowing federal energy reparations, with Sen. Joe Manchin, DW.VA, earlier this month speeding up allowing both fossil fuel and renewable energy projects. Presenting a solution for.
Transmission projects include expanding high-voltage lines that transport renewable energy to populated areas and will play a key role in accelerating the clean energy transition while meeting growing electricity demand.
The BLM aims to finalize proposal documents and develop a record of decision for the GreenLink West project by the end of 2024. It will also release a draft environmental planning document for the Greenlink North project for public comment later this year.
“Our public lands have an important role to play in the clean energy transition,” BLM Director Tracy Stone-Manning said in a statement.
The agency said it has approved 35 clean energy projects over the past few years, including solar, geothermal and zen-tie installations, which are anticipated to generate 8,160 megawatts of electricity, or more than 2.6 million homes. enough to provide electricity.
Some of the projects include the Sunzia Southwest Transmission Project in New Mexico and construction approval for the Sunlight Storage II battery storage system in California. The agency is also reviewing projects such as the Star Range Solar Project in Utah and the Bonanza Solar Project in Nevada.
