The U.S. Department of the Interior's (DOI) Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has approved the 485 MW Blythe Mesa Solar project in California.
Proposed by RRG Renewables, the Blythe Mesa photovoltaic power project will be built on 3,587 acres of private land – primarily lands that have already been disturbed by agricultural use – under the jurisdiction of Riverside County, Calif., and the City of Blythe.
The project requires the DOI's approval because a 230 kV gen-tie line allowing the facility to connect to the grid crosses five miles of public lands managed by the BLM. The line will allow the solar facility to connect into the Colorado River Substation in eastern Riverside County.
The BLM also consulted with various tribes regarding properties of sacred or cultural significance that may be affected by the proposed action. Other federal agencies involved in the project's review process included the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Federal Aviation Administration and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
