Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell has announced the approval of two major solar energy projects: the 350 MW Midland Solar Energy Project in Nevada and the 100 MW Quartzsite Solar Energy Project in Arizona. She says the U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI) also approved the 70 MW New York Canyon Geothermal Project in Nevada.
The Quartzsite Solar Project, located in La Paz County, Ariz., was proposed by Quartzsite Solar Energy LLC, a subsidiary of California-based Solar Reserve LLC. The proposed facility is a concentrated solar power design that would cover 1,600 acres of Bureau of Land Management land.
The Midland Solar Project, located near Boulder City, Nev., was proposed by Boulder Solar Power LLC. The PV plant would be built on private land and cross 76 acres of federal transmission corridor.
‘Today's approvals will help bolster rural economies by generating good jobs and reliable power and advance our national energy security,’ Jewell says.
According to the interior department, all three projects underwent extensive environmental review and public comment. The companies involved agreed to undertake significant mitigation efforts to minimize impacts to wildlife, water, historical, cultural and other resources, the DOI says.
