BLM seeks input on proposed GridLiance West Transmission Project near Las Vegas

The Bureau of Land Management Southern Nevada District Office is seeking public input on the draft environmental impact statement (EIS) for the proposed 230-kilovolt (kV) or 500-kV GridLiance West Core Upgrades Transmission Line Project in Clark and Nye counties, Nevada. The project aligns with the Biden-Harris administration’s focus on siting infrastructure in an environmentally responsible manner to support a fully carbon-free electricity sector by 2035.

The BLM will hold a virtual public meeting on May 7, 2024, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Pacific time (PT). The link to register for the virtual meeting is https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_0vTRNoldRCWAZzz-dWaDxw. An in-person meeting is on May 9, 2024, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. PT at the Pahrump Nugget Casino, 681 NV-160, Pahrump, NV, 89048. The meetings will offer information about the project and the comment period, which lasts 90 days.

“Public input during the National Environmental Policy Act process is critical as we continue to evaluate the proposed project,” said Nicholas Pay, Pahrump Field Office Manager. “The type of comments that would be most helpful during the comment period include those identifying potential local concerns and opportunities related to the proposed project and alternatives analyzed in the draft EIS, such as impacts on wildlife, recreational activities, or other public land uses.”

The GridLiance West Core Upgrades Transmission Line Project proposes to amend portions of existing right-of-way grants to construct, operate, maintain, and decommission approximately 155 miles of transmission system upgrades across approximately 4,900 acres of federal public lands in Nye and Clark Counties, Nevada. For more information, please visit the BLM National NEPA Register.

The BLM will accept written public comments through July 18, 2024. Substantive comments that identify factual errors, data gaps, relevant methods or scientific studies are the most helpful.

Written comments will be accepted until July 18, 2024 in the following ways:

• Electronically via the BLM National NEPA Register. Click on the “Participate Now” button to the right of the document link. Enter your comment information, then click “Submit.”
• Through e-mail to BLM_NV_SNDO_NEPA_Comments@blm.gov
• Written comments may be mailed to the BLM Southern Nevada District Office, Attn: GridLiance West Core Upgrades Project, 4701 North Torrey Pines Drive Las Vegas, Nevada 89130

The BLM manages vast stretches of public lands with the potential to make significant contributions to the nation’s renewable energy portfolio and provides sites for environmentally sound renewable energy projects. Efficient deployment of renewable energy from our nation’s public lands is crucial in achieving the Biden-Harris administration’s goal of a carbon pollution-free power sector by 2035.

The BLM is currently processing 66 utility-scale onshore clean energy projects proposed on public lands in the western United States. This includes solar, wind, and geothermal projects, as well as interconnected gen-tie lines that are vital to clean energy projects proposed on non-federal land. These projects have the combined potential to add more than 32,000 megawatts of renewable energy to the western electric grid. The BLM is also undertaking the preliminary review of nearly 200 applications for solar and wind development, as well as 100 applications for wind and solar energy testing.

For more information, please contact Lisa Moody, Realty Specialist, at 702-515-5000 or via email at emoody@blm.gov.