US closing in on China, clears 31 million acres for solar power

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The Biden administration has taken a significant step in its clean energy agenda by finalizing a plan to expand solar energy development on federal lands across 11 western states.

This move is part of the broader “Investing in America” initiative, which aims to boost the U.S. economy through investments in infrastructure, clean energy, and job creation.

With the updated Western Solar Plan, the administration is setting the stage for a substantial increase in solar energy capacity, which is crucial for achieving the goal of 100% clean electricity by 2035.

The updated Western Solar Plan, developed by the U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM), marks a significant expansion of federal lands available for solar energy development. Initially, the plan covered six states—Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, and Utah.

However, the new plan extends the scope to include five additional states: Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Washington, and Wyoming. This expansion increases the total acreage available for potential solar development to 31 million acres (12.5 million hectares), up from the 22 million acres proposed earlier this year.

The plan strategically targets lands with high solar potential that are close to existing transmission lines or have previously been disturbed, minimizing the impact on protected areas, sensitive cultural resources, and important wildlife habitats. This approach ensures that solar projects can move forward with fewer conflicts and a faster permitting process, which is crucial for meeting the administration’s clean energy targets.

“We’ve been really pushing ourselves to use our executive authority wherever possible to improve the federal permitting process,” said White House Deputy Chief of Staff Natalie Quillian, as reported by Reuters. This focus on streamlining approvals is key to the administration’s efforts to decarbonize the power sector and combat climate change.

Accelerating clean energy projects The Biden administration has already made significant progress in permitting clean energy projects on public lands. Earlier in 2024, the BLM surpassed its goal of permitting more than 25 gigawatts (GW) of clean energy projects, reaching 29 GW—enough to power over 12 million homes. This achievement highlights the administration’s commitment to expanding renewable energy infrastructure as part of its broader climate strategy.

The administration’s push for faster project approvals extends beyond solar energy. The White House is also focused on accelerating the permitting process for a wide range of infrastructure projects, including power transmission lines and wind farms. This is part of the broader effort to decarbonize the U.S. power grid by 2035, a key component of the fight against climate change.

In addition to expanding solar energy on federal lands, the administration is taking steps to reduce emissions in other areas. For example, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently conditionally approved a rule that creates emissions reduction credits for companies in Maricopa County, Arizona.

These credits will help local businesses transition to cleaner vehicle fleets and offset emissions from planned semiconductor factories in the region.

Environmental and economic impact The Biden administration’s focus on clean energy and environmental permitting is also yielding economic benefits. Maricopa County, home to Arizona’s capital, Phoenix, has seen a surge in investment in semiconductor manufacturing, thanks in part to federal incentives.

Companies like Intel and Taiwan’s TSMC have announced major investments in the region, and the new emissions credits approved by the EPA will support the development of these facilities while helping the area comply with federal air quality standards.

The administration is keen to highlight the progress made in streamlining environmental permitting, noting that it has shaved six months off the median time required to complete a review. This acceleration has resulted in more projects being approved than during the administration of former President Donald Trump, who is currently challenging Vice President Kamala Harris in the upcoming presidential election.

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