On December 21, the Bureau of Land Management ("BLM") published a Notice in the Federal Register calling for expressions of interest and nominations for utility-scale solar development on parcels of land within seven identified solar energy zones ("SEZ") on a combined 89,589 acres of public land. The seven SEZs include Antonito Southeast, DeTilla Gulch, and Los Mogotes East in Colorado; Dry Lake Valley North, Gold Point, and Millers in Nevada; and Afton in New Mexico.
According to the BLM's press release, the BLM, to date, has designated approximately 870,000 acres of public land as environmentally preferable for solar leasing based on their potential for solar resources, suitability for utility-scale renewable energy facilities, and limited impacts on cultural and historic resources. This BLM Notice follows shortly after the BLM Arizona State Office completed a competitive auction for utility-scale solar leases in the Gillespie, Brenda, and Agua Caliente SEZs on December 8.
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