BLM issues final analysis for Libra Solar Project in Nevada
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CARSON CITY, Nev. – The Bureau of Land Management has published the final Environmental Impact Statement for the proposed Libra Solar Project in Mineral and Lyon Counties, Nevada. Under the proposal, Libra Solar, LLC (a subsidiary of Arevia Power), would construct, operate, maintain, and decommission a 700 megawatt (MW) solar facility, 700 MW battery energy storage system, and 24-mile-long generation tie-line under a 30-year BLM right-of-way grant. If approved, the project would generate and store enough clean energy to power over 212,000 homes.
The project would be located on approximately 5,141 acres of public lands in Mineral County, and the tie-line would connect to the Fort Churchill substation in Lyon County.
“BLM manages vast stretches of public lands that have the potential to make significant contributions to the nation’s renewable energy portfolio,” said Kim Dow, Carson City District Manager. “To promote the development of these energy sources, BLM provides sites for environmentally sound development of renewable energy on public lands.”
Recently, the Department of the Interior announced that BLM had achieved the major milestone of permitting 25 gigawatts of clean energy projects, including solar, wind, geothermal, and gen-ties (transmission lines that cross public lands to connect renewable energy projects on private lands to the grid). As of July 2024, an additional 70 utility-scale clean energy projects—with the potential to produce more than 32 gigawatts of renewable energy— are being processed by the BLM throughout the western United States. In addition, the agency has begun the preliminary review of nearly 170 applications for solar and wind development, as well as more than 40 applications for solar and wind energy site testing.
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 Final EIS and associated supplemental documents are available for inspection at the project’s website on BLM’s National NEPA Register.
For additional information, please contact Lisa Ross, Public Affairs Specialist, by phone (775) 885-6107, or email to lross@blm.gov.
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.