Article Summary –
According to the Bureau of Land Management’s revised Western Solar Plan, approximately 572,000 acres of land in Montana have potential for utility-scale solar development, more than double what was identified in a draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) earlier this year. The revised plan, which prioritizes areas that minimize conflicts with cultural, historical, and environmental resources, was influenced by over 64,000 public comments and includes previously disturbed lands that do not necessarily have proximity to transmission lines. The final Environmental Impact Statement predicts that by 2045, around 5,400 acres of BLM land in Montana will be developed for solar, the least among the 11 states analyzed, with a final record of decision expected in December.
According to a newly published roadmap from the Bureau of Land Management, about 572,000 acres of land in Montana have some baseline potential for utility-scale solar development, more than double the acreage the agency identified in the draft Environmental Impact Statement it released in January.
The revised Western Solar Plan released in late August identifies 31 million acres of BLM-administered land suitable for solar projects of five megawatts or greater across an 11-state region of the West. It prioritizes areas that are previously disturbed or close to existing or planned transmission lines to minimize conflicts related to cultural and historical resources and sensitive wildlife (e.g., threatened species, sage grouse habitat, big game winter range and migration corridors).
The expanded Montana acreage reflects changes the agency made to the plan based on more than 64,000 comments fielded on the draft EIS. The agency has lowered the distance and voltage thresholds required to meet the proximity-to-transmission criteria and incorporated previously disturbed lands not located near transmission lines in the revised plan.
BLM Director Tracy Stone-Manning said in an Aug. 29 press release that the proposal supports long-term energy security and will help meet Biden administration’s clean energy goals. “It will drive responsible solar development to locations with fewer potential conflicts while helping the nation transition to a clean energy economy, furthering the BLM’s mission to sustain the health, diversity and productivity of public lands for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations,” Stone-Manning said.
Parcels included in the Montana portion of the plan are largely concentrated in the north-central region of the state and the area east of Miles City, along the corridor of a planned 525-kilovolt transmission line that will connect the eastern and western power grids.
Montana’s solar-suitable acreage is modest compared to other western states. For example, the agency has identified more than 3.8 million acres of BLM land in Wyoming as potentially appropriate for solar development.
According to the agency’s final EIS, about 5,400 acres of BLM land in Montana could be developed for solar by 2045 under the “reasonably foreseeable development scenario.” This is the least of any of the 11 states analyzed in the plan.
As of June 30, the agency has permitted 52 solar projects on its land in the western U.S., capable of generating nearly 9,600 megawatts of power. Half of these projects are in California, which was part of the decade-old Western Solar Plan now updated with new guidance.
The agency is expected to issue a record of decision finalizing the plan in December.
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