A new rule will protect proposed renewable energy sites from conflicting mining development on public lands in the Western states, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) said at the end of April.
Deerfield Wind is the first wind project planned in a national forest. If successful, 14 wind turbines would be built in Vermont’s Green Mountain National Forest — an area previously proposed for wilderness protection.
The Power Company of Wyoming has proposed to build a 1,000-turbine wind project on 215,000 acres of public, private and state land in southern Wyoming.
Renewable energy developers operating on public lands pay fees, or royalties, to the U.S. government. This money could fund conservation priorities to offset the impacts of development.
The Public Lands and Renewable Energy Act of 2011 creates a framework for developing renewable energy on public lands in an environmentally‐sound and efficient way.
This week, National Journal has a very interesting topic for its Energy & Environment blog series: Where does energy fit into President Obama’s jobs plan?
