Local officials are calling for state regulations that would require federal land managers to enter agreements with local jurisdictions before moving forward with major renewable energy projects.
Local officials in rural Nevada counties say they are being overwhelmed by proposed renewable energy projects, largely planned for public lands managed by the federal government.
As Jeniffer Solis explains in Daily Yonder, “Several rural counties are now asking state lawmakers to establish a policy that would require federal agencies to coordinate all their land use planning and management decisions with state and county governments when considering massive utility-scale energy projects on Nevada’s public lands.”
Local officials say they do not have the resources and staff required to assess and monitor large-scale solar and wind projects and how they could impact local infrastructure and economies. In some counties, a significant portion of employment depends on federally managed lands. For example, “Nearly all of Eureka County’s employment is in the natural resources sector, including mining, farming, and ranching.”
There is also concern over regulations for environmental protection, how to dispose of defunct solar panels and equipment, and how massive solar projects will impact ranching and agricultural production.
FULL STORY: Rural Officials Tell NV Lawmakers They Can’t Keep Up With Flood of Proposed Energy Projects
New Jersey Agrivoltaic Project Combines Solar Energy With Farming
A Rutgers University-New Brunswick demonstration farm will evaluate solar array designs to understand how they can best support grazing and agriculture on the same site.
BLM Allocates Funding to Study Renewables Impact on Public Lands
The large-scale study will assess how proposed solar farms and other renewable energy projects could impact animals, plants, and habitats.
Key Wins for Conservation in 2024
The year brought some important victories to advocates for public lands, national monuments, and the reclamation of Indigenous history.
What ‘The Brutalist’ Teaches Us About Modern Cities
How architecture and urban landscapes reflect the trauma and dysfunction of the post-war experience.
‘Complete Streets’ Webpage Deleted in Federal Purge
Basic resources and information on building bike lanes and sidewalks, formerly housed on the government’s Complete Streets website, are now gone.
The VW Bus is Back — Now as an Electric Minivan
Volkswagen’s ID. Buzz reimagines its iconic Bus as a fully electric minivan, blending retro design with modern technology, a 231-mile range, and practical versatility to offer a stylish yet functional EV for the future.
Healing Through Parks: Altadena’s Path to Recovery After the Eaton Fire
In the wake of the Eaton Fire, Altadena is uniting to restore Loma Alta Park, creating a renewed space for recreation, community gathering, and resilience.
San Diego to Rescind Multi-Unit ADU Rule
The city wants to close a loophole that allowed developers to build apartment buildings on single-family lots as ADUs.
Electric Vehicles for All? Study Finds Disparities in Access and Incentives
A new UCLA study finds that while California has made progress in electric vehicle adoption, disadvantaged communities remain underserved in EV incentives, ownership, and charging access, requiring targeted policy changes to advance equity.
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City of Albany
UCLA Lewis Center for Regional Policy Studies
Mpact (formerly Rail~Volution)
Chaddick Institute at DePaul University
City of Piedmont, CA
Great Falls Development Authority, Inc.
HUDs Office of Policy Development and Research