Mitigation

Solar Regional Mitigation Strategies

In an effort to spur renewable energy development on public lands, the BLM has developed mitigation strategies that will expedite the responsible development of Solar Energy Zones in Colorado, Arizona and Nevada. 

The strategies apply a landscape-level approach to managing development in these designated zones on public lands by identifying natural, cultural and human resources that could be impacted by potential solar development.  The strategies then offer ways to mitigate any unavoidable impacts off-site. One goal of the strategies is to provide certainty to potential project developers by recommending a per-acre fee that would fund off-site mitigation measures and streamline environmental review for individual projects within the zones. 

Monitoring

Through the Western Solar Plan, the BLM committed to preparing monitoring strategies for Solar Energy Zones to better understand the impacts of solar development on public lands.  The BLM's monitoring efforts ensure that data and lessons learned about the impacts of solar energy projects will be collected, reviewed, and, as appropriate, incorporated into the BLM’s Solar Energy Program in the future.