By Emma Penrod | Construction Dive
Dive Brief:
- The U.S. Bureau of Land Management issued its proposed updated Western Solar Plan on Thursday, designating more than 31 million acres of public land in 11 states as open to utility-scale solar development.
- The plan adds about 9 million acres beyond the original 22 million acres proposed by the BLM earlier this year.
- Solar projects on public land will still need to undergo site-specific environmental reviews, but the new Western Solar Plan should help speed the permitting process by steering development away from areas with potential conflicts, according to a statement from the Biden administration.
