Proposed Projects

America’s public lands will soon host many wind and solar energy projects proposed to the government. We’re working to make sure those projects do not harm sensitive wildlands and wildlife habitat.

By getting involved in renewable energy projects, The Wilderness Society can:

  • Help improve good proposals
  • Help steer bad proposals away from our best wildlands
  • Ensure sensitive wildlife habitats aren’t harmed by renewable energy infrastructure and activities

The rapid increase in companies applying to build wind and solar projects and transmission lines on public lands demonstrates a great move towards creating a clean energy future — but these projects can harm our natural heritage.

By working with conservation partners, project developers, land managers like the BLM and the forest service and others, we can protect wildlands while transitioning away from polluting fossil fuels.

Protecting key wild lands and wildlife habitat from development

Our wildest lands and sensitive wildlife habitat are inappropriate for development of any kind. When renewable energy projects are proposed in these locations, we work to steer developers to more appropriate places or block bad proposals if alternative solutions cannot be found.

Improving project proposals to limit impacts and maximize benefits

Even when projects are proposed in areas that are generally appropriate, we can often help gain improvements by recommending changes to the proposed project footprint or technology. Reducing impacts while maximizing clean energy output from project sites are important elements of responsible renewable energy development.

Proposed projects we are engaged in

The Wilderness Society is engaged in a number of proposed projects across the nation. More information on key projects is found on the regional projects pages below:

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  • Western Clean Energy Advocates letter to Gov Hickenlooper in support of renewable standard increase

    Members of the Western Clean Energy Advocates (WCEA), signed a letter encouraging Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper to  to sign SB 252, to increase the renewable energy portfolio standard for rural electric providers

    . WCEA is a diverse and growing coalition working to transform the way we produce, use, and distribute energy across the West. WCEA aims to create jobs, protect the West’s water, wildlife, and ecosystems, address climate change, and enhance energy security.

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  • Blueprint for a responsible renewable energy program on public lands

    Smart Steps to Establish a Responsible Program for Renewable Energy on Public Lands

    Since its first day in office, the Obama Administration has made rapid and responsible expansion of renewable energy a top priority. The public lands have played a major role in achieving early goals, but only because of focused effort to correct decades of inattention and inactivity toward developing renewable energy as a major component of the nation’s energy mix.

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  • By The Numbers: Acres for Energy and Conservation

    Expanding energy development to meet the growing needs of America must be balanced with protecting vital wild places. 

    The Wilderness Society has launched a new quarterly report "By The Numbers" to track how many acres of American land have been protected by Congress and the Executive branch, and how many acres have been leased out to energy development.

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  • Testimony reveals Kulluk needed more tow vessels

    Tim Woody
    Wednesday, May 22, 2013

    Witness testimony today by Noble’s Offshore Installation Manager Todd Case as he was questioned by the National Transportation Safety Board revealed that the Kulluk drill rig -- which Shell attempted to tow across the Gulf of Alaska with a single tow vessel before it broke loose and ran aground last New Year’s Eve -- should have had multiple tow vessels for safe transport.

    Case was aboard the Kulluk when it went adrift and ran aground on a small island south of Kodiak.

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  • Hastings-Young bill would scrap a balanced plan for NPR-A

    Tim Woody
    Tuesday, May 21, 2013

    U.S. Representatives Don Young and Doc Hastings have introduced H.R. 1964 in an effort to scrap the Department of the Interior’s recently finalized, comprehensive plan for the western Arctic’s National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska, the nation’s largest tract of public land. The bill is scheduled for a hearing tomorrow on Capitol Hill.

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  • Blueprint identifies ways Interior Department can continue building a smart renewable energy plan to meet Obama’s goals

    jdickson
    Monday, May 20, 2013

    Identifying smart steps the Obama Administration, including the Department of the Interior and Bureau of Land Management, can take to continue building a responsible program for renewable energy  are part of a “blueprint for action” released by The Wilderness Society today.

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