Thirty–one proposed renewable energy and power transmission projects have been put on the fast track for approval by the Bureau of Land Management, with the aim of getting them paid for with stimulus funding under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.
“The B.L.M. is committed to helping diversify this country’s energy portfolio in an environmentally responsible manner,” the director of the bureau, Bon Abbey, said in a statement announcing the 14 solar, seven wind, three geothermal and seven transmission projects.
All the projects “could potentially be cleared for approval by December 2010,” according to the bureau’s Web site, and all are proposed for bureau-managed land.
The projects, which range in size from 24 megawatts to 986 megawatts, were picked because the bureau said it believed that the projects were far enough along that they could receive approval by the end of the year — the deadline for projects to be eligible for the stimulus funding.
The fast-track designation stems from a decision by Secretary of Interior Ken Salazar to establish a streamlined process for getting applicants the reviews they need.
“The fast-track process is about focusing our staff and resources on the most promising renewable energy projects,” said Mr. Abbey, “not about cutting corners, especially when it comes to environmental analyses or opportunities for public participation.”