The Bureau of Land Management has reversed course on a proposed moratorium on the construction of solar projects on public land.
"The agency suggested its change of course is an example of its ability to nimbly respond to public outcry."
"'We heard the concerns expressed during the (public meetings) about waiting to consider new applications and we are taking action,' BLM Director James Caswell said in a statement Wednesday."
"But the more complete back story is that the agency - operating under an administration focused on the pursuit of oil and gas - did not consider that the nascent solar industry had friends in high places, including Congress, and bowed to external political pressure."
"The reversal came two weeks after Sen. Harry Reid learned from a Las Vegas Sun article that the BLM was implementing a 22-month freeze on solar projects. He immediately vowed to fight it, referring to it only as a 'proposed delay.'"
"The onslaught of media and political attention that followed made the moratorium all but unsustainable."
FULL STORY: Sun shines on solar again
Western Solar Plan Charts Course for Development on Public Lands
The BLM’s proposed maps could open up as much as 55 million acres to solar installations.
World's Largest Concentrating Solar-Thermal Plant Plan a No-Go
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BLM Approves Controversial Oil and Gas Leases on Navajo Land
The parcels are located near a sensitive archaeological site, but some Indigenous leaders approve of the move, which will bring in millions in revenue.
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San Diego to Rescind Multi-Unit ADU Rule
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Electric Vehicles for All? Study Finds Disparities in Access and Incentives
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Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
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