Press Releases

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Western Caucus Chairman Dan Newhouse (WA-04) released the following statement on the Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM) proposed updated Western Solar Plan.

“Time and again the Biden-Harris Administration has created ways to undermine the multiple-use mandate for public lands and push unreliable intermittent renewable energy over traditional sources,” said Chairman Newhouse. “Contrary to the purpose of the Federal Land Policy and Management Act, this plan risks taking lands offline for purposes other than solar use, limiting the potential for mining, grazing and public access. The BLM’s war on Western America must cease and we should support an all of the above energy approach instead of prioritizing unreliable renewables over affordable traditional energy sources.”

Background:

The Final Utility-Scale Solar Energy Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (PEIS) updates and expands the 2012 Western Solar Plan to encompass five additional states – totaling 11 states and over 31 million acres eligible for solar development.

Following this announcement, a 30-day protest period and 60-day governor’s consistency review is initiated. A final Record of Decision and Resource Management Plan Amendments are expected to be announced in late fall/early winter 2024.

In January 2024, the draft Utility-Scale Solar Energy Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement was released with a 60-day public comment period. Western Caucus Members sent a letter to the BLM expressing concerns over the agency’s draft PEIS.