Department of the Interior Pushes for Renewable Energy on Public Lands

Last week, Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar announced the ongoing study of 670,000 acres of public land for the development of solar energy.  This study includes twenty-four separate tracts of land in Nevada, Arizona, California, Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah.  The announcement, while stating an intention to speed up development of renewables on public lands, also clearly stated Salazar's intent to maintain all the values of public lands.  These values include environmental protection and stewardship.

Salazar announced that by the end of 2010 he expects there to be 13 commercial solar project constructions on public lands.  This is certainly ambitious and we look forward to Salazar's intention to use our lands for clean energy instead of developing more climate-changing dirty fuels.  We expect to see this renewable energy developed and sited cleanly and responsibly and with as little impact on the land as possible.  Considering the millions of acres available for oil and gas, this is welcome direction to be heading.