Renewable Energy & Public Lands

An Important Part of the Climate Solution

From the threat of climate change to the devastation caused by drilling and mining, it is clear that to sustain our wildlands and our human communities, we need to transition from our reliance on fossil fuels toward a sustainable energy economy.

To achieve this goal, we'll need a diverse approach that includes:

• Serious efforts to lower energy demand through conservation, energy efficiency, and smart grid technologies — applying 21st century technologies to reduce the need for new sources of power, turning off lights, cell chargers, TVs and other devices when not in use, increasing appliance efficiency, and improving building insulation;
• "Distributed Generation" like rooftop solar and community wind projects — limiting new transmission needs by creating power where it is used; and
• "Utility-Scale" wind, solar, and geothermal plants — large, efficient renewables plants are needed to take the place of polluting coal-fired power plants.

What’s New

Campaign Updates and Blogs

Our public lands have a role to play — along with state and private lands, they harbor substantial wind, solar, and geothermal resources. Developing some of these resources will be an important part of the energy solution. Renewable resource development is not appropriate everywhere on public lands, however, and development that does occur on public lands should take place in a responsible manner.

Read our Principles for Responsible Renewable Energy Development.

Our Work

Guided Development — The Wilderness Society works with stakeholders at all levels to guide renewable energy development to the most appropriate places — lands that have already been degraded and are close to load centers and existing infrastructure.

Doing Solar, Wind & Geothermal Projects Right — We engage with federal agencies, industry, and conservation partners to ensure renewable energy projects minimize environmental impacts and protect wildlife habitat.

Transmission — New transmission will be needed to access renewable resources in remote locations; we advocate for transmission lines and energy corridors that support renewable resources over dirty fossil fuels and are properly sited and built to minimize impacts.

Saving Energy Saves Lands — The least environmentally-damaging clean energy projects are those that never need to be built. Alternative clean energy opportunities, such as incentivizing gains in energy efficiency, requiring demand-side management, or wringing the slack out of the existing grid, should be maximized to ensure new large-scale renewables facilities on public lands are truly needed.

Fact Sheets and Other Key Materials

• Wilderness Society Principles for Responsible Renewable Energy Development
• Renewables: Our key to a clean, green energy future
• Land Use and Renewable Energy Generation
• Solar Energy Development on Public Lands
• Wind Energy Development on Public Lands
• Geothermal Energy Development on Public Lands
• Renewable Resource Potential on Public Lands
• Renewable Electricity Standards
• Energy Efficiency: Saving Energy Saves Lands
• TWS and Conservation Partners Land Conservation and Renewable Energy Case Statement
• TWS and Conservation Partners Key Principles for Balancing Conservation and Renewable Energy
  

Contacts

Chase Huntley
Policy Advisor, Energy and Climate Change
202-429-7431
EMAIL

Alex Daue
Renewable Energy Coordinator, BLM Action Center
303-650-5818 x 108
EMAIL

Pam Eaton
Deputy Vice President, Public Lands Campaign
303-650-5818 x 103
EMAIL

Jennifer Dickson
Communications Manager, BLM Action Center
202-556-2933
EMAIL