BLM initiates environmental analysis of the Socorro Solar Energy Project

LAKE HAVASU, Ariz. — The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is seeking public input to inform development of an environmental assessment for the proposed Socorro Solar Energy project in southeastern La Paz County. As currently proposed, the Socorro project would produce up to 350 megawatts of renewable energy from solar photovoltaic modules on up to 5,850 acres of public land.

Project information, including maps, will be available on the project website within the BLM’s National NEPA Register.

The analysis will evaluate potential impacts from the proposed project and address Native American religious concerns; threatened, endangered, and sensitive species; socioeconomic effects; environmental justice; and other issues. The environmental assessment will also analyze mitigation measures to lessen environmental impacts and ensure the action alternatives would not result in unnecessary or undue degradation of public lands.

“The public’s input during scoping will help inform the BLM’s development of a range of alternatives that will be analyzed,” said William Mack, Colorado River District Manager. “We invite our federal, state, tribal, as well as local partners, stakeholders, and the public to participate in scoping.”

Written comments are encouraged and may be submitted for 30 days following the issuance of the scoping letter, by mail, email at BLM_AZ_CRD_SOLAR@blm.gov or within the project website in BLM’s National NEPA Register.

If submitting by mail, send to the BLM’s Arizona State Office at 1 North Central Avenue, Suite 800, Phoenix, AZ 85004, and please note “Attention: Derek Eysenbach/Socorro Solar Project.”

The BLM manages vast stretches of public lands that have the potential to make significant contributions to the nation’s renewable energy portfolio. To promote our clean energy goals, the BLM provides sites for environmentally sound development of renewable energy on public lands and new transmission routes to connect into the grid. These efforts to deploy renewable energy from our nation’s public lands support the Biden-Harris administration’s goal of a carbon pollution-free power sector by 2035, as well as Congress’ direction in the Energy Act of 2020 to permit 25 gigawatts of solar, wind, and geothermal production on public lands no later than 2025.