BLM Reverses Solar Moratorium in 6 Western States
The Bureau of Land Management has reversed it’s 22 month moratorium on new applications for solar power development on public lands.
In a statement issued today, the BLM said it will continue to process the applications while, “continuing to identify issues during public scoping underway for the programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (PEIS).
In the statement, BLM Director James Caswell said:
“We heard the concerns expressed during the scoping period about waiting to consider new applications, and we are taking action. By continuing to accept and process new applications for solar energy projects, we will aggressively help meet growing interest in renewable energy sources, while ensuring environmental protections.”
A storm of protest arose last month when the BLM said it was suspending applications pending processing of the 125 applications previously received.
Public scoping continues through July 15th, when the public has the opportunity to comment on the PEIS, either through the online comment form, or by mail to; Solar Energy PEIS Scoping, Argonne National Laboratory, 9700 S. Cass Ave. – EVS/900, Argonne IL 60439.
Details about the three public scoping meetings on July 8 in Tucson, Arizona; July 9 in San Luis Obispo, California; and July 10 in El Centro, California; are available on the project website.
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Image Source: www.scienceclarified.com
[...] it’s 22 month moratorium on new applications for solar power development on public lands. BLM Reverses Solar Moratorium in 6 Western States : Planetsave [...]
Do we really want to cover the west with panels? Put them on people’s friggin’ roofs - they are already flat in Phoenix. And get more efficiency. I’m all for some of this, but covering the great open spaces with panels would SUCK.
I just can’t figure out the liberal mind. Are you against everything? Can’t drill, can’t mine for shale oil, can’t put up wind mills, and now we can’t build solar plants because some moron above might drive throught the mid west and see them…
I’m at a loss for words.
Tom
http://www.dare2believe.com
There is plenty of vacant land out there that is out of view for solar energy projects. And even if you could see some of them, wouldn’t you rather be looking at shinny mirrors or being confined to your home due to pollution?
I was scrolling down to make a comment and I noticed Tunka beat me to it. Solar Panels should be on all peoples homes, there would be no additional space taken up, and the home benefits from the extra insulation from the direct rays of the sun.
Tom, because we need to go back to the times where we used a washboard, no electricity and grew all our own stuff… get rid of cars, technology, etc and start over again. I mean DUH! hehe /sarcasm
Tunka: No, we don’t want to cover the west with ‘panels,’ we want to cover it with mirrors! Solar thermal is (at this time) far more cost *and* energy efficient than photovoltaic panels. I agree – put PV on people’s roofs. Solar thermal, however, needs large fields of concentrating mirrors to be effective, because the more (cheap) mirrors you have, the more power you get out of the (expensive) tower. Solar thermal can store heat at night and still generate power, unlike photovoltaic panels.
In response to Tom Desrosier: I think what you’re seeing is the diversity of people who identify as ‘liberal.’ For instance, I consider myself liberal, and am completely in favor of wind turbines and solar thermal.
Shale oil is simply a bad idea, because the energy output is barely higher than the energy input (1 barrel needed to extract 1.5 barrels, compared to 1:10 for petroleum), not to mention the fact that it’s still a fossil fuel. Yep, I believe the scientific community on climate change too!
Nathan, I’m sure your in favor of this or that. Everyone seems to be favor of some obscure pie in the sky solution as long as its out of sight and out of mind.
Solar is great, just don’t put those ugly mirrors close to where I live or work! Windmills are good too. Not by my house though - there’s a rare species of yellow breasted sap sucker that only comes around on overcast Tuesday nights and it might get wacked in the windmill blades!
How does a family of four, making $50,000 per year, heat his home this winter Mr. Liberal? Oil is $800 per tank and going up; they’ll need 4 or 5 tank fulls this winter just to keep the house at 68 or so. A bunch of PVC on the roof won’t do it; we’re talking millions of people who need a solution - not some dubious feel good science project.
That’s the problem with liberal-think: its best done by people of privelege, who are removed from the realities of life; who don’t worry about where their next meal is coming from, how they’re going to heat their homes, and so on.
Right now even 1.5 barrels for every one produced is a good start. I doubt the process will remain that inefficient though, once the process is process engineered. But even so - every promise of additional supply lowers the cost and provides some relief for middle class America. Its that simple.
But I almost forgot, you have a front seat on the Al Gore Global Warming Bus to Abilene!
Liberals…
Tom
http://www.dare2believe.com
Tom,
I do have to say your thinking is entirely wrong in my opinion. Spend 1 barrel to get 1.5? Do you really think they are going to sell you that barrel at a loss to them or am I missing something. Yes we need to get our act together and it should have happened 20 years ago but I guess the baby boomers just didn’t get around to it. Now it is sitting in our laps and we need to get our best minds working on a solution. The manufacturing of panels is improving and the prices are dropping but it still isn’t enough. We need get all of the technologies out there and work on improving them as we go along. Fossil fuels are needed but we must be more efficient in our usage of them.
Tom, you’re a tool, and obviously didn’t read what Nathan said, and you also probably talk over people in a conversation.
“1.5 barrels for every one produced is a good start”.
wow.
Al Gore Global Warming Bus.
wow. since NASA scientists and the large majority of the scientific community is wrong too.
Go back to you’re double-wide, and let the rest make the decisions for you. It’s better that way. In the meantime, lay of the KFC and save your nickels so you can heat your home.