The USA’s Biden administration has advanced its clean energy goals by finalising a plan to expand solar energy development on federal lands across 11 western states.
This initiative is part of the broader “Investing in America” strategy, aimed at boosting the economy through infrastructure, clean energy, and job creation. The updated Western Solar Plan, developed by the U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM), significantly increases the federal lands available for solar development, expanding from six to 11 states.
The newly included states are Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Washington, and Wyoming, raising the total potential solar development area to 31m acres.
The plan focuses on areas with high solar potential near existing transmission lines or previously disturbed lands, reducing conflicts and speeding up the permitting process.
“We’ve been really pushing ourselves to use our executive authority wherever possible to improve the federal permitting process,” says White House Deputy Chief of Staff Natalie Quillian, as reported by Reuters.
This effort is crucial for achieving the administration’s target of 100% clean electricity by 2035.
Background
Earlier in 2024, the BLM surpassed its goal by permitting over 29GW of clean energy projects, enough to power more than 12m homes.
The administration is also accelerating the permitting process for various infrastructure projects, including power transmission lines and wind farms, as part of its broader strategy to decarbonise the USA’s power grid by 2035.
In addition to solar expansion, the administration is working to reduce emissions in other sectors. For instance, the EPA recently approved emissions reduction credits in Maricopa County, Arizona, to help local businesses transition to cleaner vehicle fleets while supporting the growth of semiconductor factories in the region.
