American Solar Energy Pilot Leasing Act of 2010 introduced

Written by Wild Nevada

Friday, 11 June 2010 05:36

Senator Reid and Congressman Heller introduced a bill yesterday afternoon that we think is great for Nevada and can help guide other western states grappling with the demands of renewable energy development and the demands for habitat conservation.

Called the American Solar Energy Pilot Leasing Act of 2010, the bill would lease public lands in Nevada for two solar projects, establish an innovative royalty system based on the sale of electricity, and use that royalty for on-the-ground conservation projects in Nevada—all at the same time. It’s exciting because it’s a tangible example of “smart from the start” renewable energy development – something we’ve been working on since we re-wrote our organizational mission and strategic plan over a year ago.

Here’s how the bill would work:

If passed, the bill will lease two areas in Lincoln County for commercial solar development. They are the 2,845-acre Delamar Valley and Dry Lake Valley, which is approximately 10,945 acres. These sites are located on Bureau of Land Management (BLM) managed lands that have previously been identified as Solar Energy Study Areas (SESA) by the Department of the Interior. If you followed Adam Bradley and his 500-mile hike along the Southwest Intertie Project transmission line (the SWIP Trip), these area names will ring a bell; Adam walked right past these two areas as he followed the path of the SWIP.

The BLM would establish a reasonable royalty, to be applied to the sale of electricity from the leased sites that would encourage production and generation of solar energy and ensure a fair return to taxpayers. The BLM would have the ability to lower or suspend the royalty for up to five years from the start of production, in order to help solar companies get operations up and running and to be cost competitive with fossil fuel energy projects. To avoid speculative corporate investments that could slow energy production, the BLM will attach a requirement to the lease that holders diligently develop the leased parcels.

Revenues from these royalties, leases, or other payments would be distributed as follows:
• 25% to Lincoln County
• 25% to the state of Nevada
• 35% to establish a Renewable Energy Mitigation and Fish and Wildlife Fund, which will provide funding for wildlife and habitat and related projects in Nevada.
• 15% to help fund the BLM’s processing of renewable energy permits in Nevada (for 10 years, then this portion goes to the Fund.)

Energy development in the American West has long been conducted against the backdrop of irreversible habitat damage and tremendous conflict among public lands user groups. Here, we’ve worked with conservationists, sportsmen, range specialists, and local elected officials to promote a balanced and proactive approach that results in two compatible wins: one for renewable energy and one for habitat conservation.

You can see film footage of the Dry Lake Valley below, accompanied by a bit of narration by John Wallin, NWP Director. It was shot last month during the SWIP Trip.

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And here's a map of the two Solar Development Zones in the legislation.

drylake_delamarmap

Comments

0 #6 Guest 2010-06-16 15:38

Darcy, more info on the HMAs: check with the Caliente BLM Field Office. Any HMA issues would be dealt with in the NEPA process for specific projects, and in the RMP for general management issues.

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0 #5 Guest 2010-06-16 11:35

Darcy, not sure how it affects the HMAs in that area. Lincoln County and Resource Concepts, Inc. represented rangeland issues. If you have further questions on HMAs, ask the BLM or one of the interests above.

Cheers.

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0 #4 Guest 2010-06-16 11:31

Jason,

1. No, we dressed up as conservationist s. Environmentalis ts aren't festive enough for Halloween, which we think is an important holiday (as well as Nevada Day!)
2. Q: How does the bill trash NEPA? A: It does not. The Solar Programmatic EIS will require project-specific EAs, and our understanding is that projects leased will still go through NEPA.
3. We do not screw the desert. As far as we can tell. But we appreciate your passion and recognize there are a wide range of opinions out there.
4. What 30,000 acres is NWP selling out? The SESAsin the Delamar and Dry Lake Valleys were 68,000 acres, and we are supporting 14,000 acres as better areas to start with. Not sure where the 30,000 acre sell out figure comes from...

Jason, if you'd like to contact me, I'd be happy to discuss our rationale further with you. johndotwallinat wildnevadadotor g.

Cheers.

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-1 #3 Guest 2010-06-14 16:11

Did you guys dress up as environmentalis ts last Halloween?

This bill completely trashes NEPA. Why would a conservation group get behind that? How much money are you getting from the solar industry? In 20 years are you going stand on the desert you screwed and take credit for it? Are you going to brag about the 30,000 acres you sold out in 2010?

PATHETIC!

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