Dive Brief:
- The Bureau of Land Management rejected an application for a solar energy right-of-way in the Silurian Valley in San Bernardino County, Calif., finding the environmental impacts of the proposal could not be mitigated, Bloomberg reports.
- A subsidiary of Iberdrola Renewables LLC proposed constructing a 200 MW photovoltaic solar project on 1,616 acres under BLM's Western Solar Plan, which allows for solar projects to be prioritized in some areas. The proposal was controversial from the start, given the delicate ecology of the proposed site.
- BLM has approved 18 solar, wind and geothermal projects on public lands in California since 2010. The Silurian Valley project is the first to be denied through the variance process.
Dive Insight:
The BLM's Western Solar Plan was approved in October 2012, creating Solar Energy Zones across the West where solar projects would be prioritized. Iberdrola's proposal, however, did not meet the "rigorous review process," the agency said, according to Bloomberg.
Iberdrola will have 30 days to appeal the decision, and the company is mulling its options. “We have a viable project that we thought addressed some of the biological and visual concerns it might have,” Iberdrola spokesman Paul Copleman told Bloomberg. “This was the first time anyone tried developing in a variance area. We still hope to be able to move forward.”
BLM issued a statement saying it analyzed environmental data in addition to gathering information from the public and local, state, federal and tribal governments. Initial review and analysis found impacts to the Silurian Valley, a largely undisturbed valley that supports wildlife and recreation, "had too great of an impact on the resources" and "likely could not be mitigated."
