BLM announces Blythe Mesa Solar Project is fully operational
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PALM SPRINGS, Calif. — The Bureau of Land Management announces that the Blythe Mesa Solar Project, also known as Athos III, is fully operational and anticipated to produce enough electricity to power 94,000 homes. The solar energy project provides 224 megawatts of solar photovoltaic capacity and a 112-megawatt battery storage system on roughly 3,600 acres of private land with a 230-kilovolt generation interconnection, or gen-tie, crossing BLM-managed public lands in Riverside County.
“The completion of the Blythe Mesa (Athos III) solar energy project helps meet the Department of the Interior’s commitment to accelerate responsible development of renewable energy on public lands and the BLM’s mission to sustainably manage public lands,” said BLM California State Director Karen Mouritsen. “This project is another example of how the Biden Administration is meeting the climate crisis with urgency and determination, ensuring a cleaner, safer, and healthier planet.”
In 2015, the BLM approved the Blythe Mesa (Athos III) Solar Project’s 5.2-mile gen-tie transmission line and access road that crosses BLM-managed public lands. Intersect Power took over ownership of the Blythe Mesa (Athos III) Solar Project from RRG Renewables in 2020 and began construction in 2021.The gen-tie line connects the solar facility to the Southern California Edison Colorado River Substation in eastern Riverside County.
Additional information, including National Environmental Policy Act documents, is available on E-Planning at the Blythe Mesa Solar Project webpage.
The BLM manages more than 245 million acres of public land located primarily in 12 western states, including Alaska, on behalf of the American people. The BLM also administers 700 million acres of sub-surface mineral estate throughout the nation. Our mission is to sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of America’s public lands for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations.