BLM to Consider Changes to California Desert Renewable Energy Conservation Plan

In response to President Trump’s order to review regulations that unnecessarily impede energy development, the Bureau of Land Management announced today that it will consider amending the Desert Renewable Energy Conservation Plan (DRECP) to seek greater opportunities for renewable energy generation.

The BLM will publish a Federal Register notice this week to open a 45-day public comment period on the Desert Renewable Energy Plan (DRECP), which covers about 10.8 million acres of BLM-managed public land.  On September 14, 2016, the BLM issued the Record of Decision for the DRECP, which made only 7 percent of the area available for renewable energy leasing.

California Renewable Energy Policy Enters Final Act

The renewable energy policy world is filled with government agencies, corporations, conservation groups — and a tyranny of intimidating acronyms. The California desert continues to serve as a petri dish for renewable energy development, which has produced both Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde results, thus far. The stage is set for the next phase in renewable energy planning, and we can’t afford another failed experiment.