JAN 15

We've decided that it's going to be nearly impossible for Obama to meet his goal of doubling renewable energy production in the U.S. in a mere three years. But, since we like him, we're working on a plan to help him do it. The first step was to grant tens of millions of microloans to homeowners to help them retrofit their homes and install solar panels.

And this is the second part of the series, in which we're telling Obama he has to re-tool the BLM, and fast.

The Bureau of Land Management is a fairly small government agency. They control all of the land that the government owns that isn't forest. So, as you might imagine, they didn't have all that much on their plate for a good long while. Determining whether people could graze cattle or ride off-road vehicles on the land that they manage has been their primary responsibility for the last fifty years.

But now the BLM is suddenly in control of some of the most hotly contested land in the world...namely America's vast, hot, sunny deserts. The BLM now has more than 200 applications for solar projects on its desk and, so far, its been able to get through two of them.

Last year, the BLM met with uproar as it called for a moratorium on new solar power proposals. If all of the plans currently proposed for BLM lands were actually built, there would be 51 GW of solar power in America.

Granted, the majority of these projects are probably either illegal or impractical, but that doesn't change that there is a HUGE pile-up at the BLM. Holding up solar projects at a regulatory level, not because they're being carefully analyzed but because the BLM has nothing like the staff needed to carefully analyze even a fraction of a percent of these projects is exactly the kind of problem we don't need.

I'm almost tempted to suggest that Obama create a whole new agency for reviewing these applications, or creating a system to expedite their review.

The BLM was never built for this kind of activity. Cows and ORVs...that's what they did. And now solar and wind projects are threatening to break the back of the agency. It doesn't need additional staff and a larger budget, it needs to be completely restructured. We've got to do it, and fast.

Comments (11)

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written by Tom, January 15, 2009

Yes, I believe the BLM has had a 78% increase in applications for solar power projects! That's an incredible amount, even if many of them are illegal and/or impractical. They definitely need to do something about these applications. Even if many don't make it past the application process, at least they will be seen and we will hopefully get some legitimate solar energy projects out of this.

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Cows, Wind Farms... and Burners
written by wutsnu, January 16, 2009

The BLM also controls the desert area where the Burning Man festival (http://www.burningman.com) takes place, and so controls the licensing that is required for the festival to happen.

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written by Tom Donaldson, January 16, 2009

The Bureau of Land Management is a fairly small government agency. They control all of the land that the government owns that isn't forest. So, as you might imagine, they didn't have all that much on their plate for a good long while.

I live in the southwestern-most county in Oregon, Curry County. Most of the county is forest. The majority of that is controlled by BLM. Or so I thought until today.

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written by MarkR, January 16, 2009

You've got it all wrong Hank. This is as irresponsible as opening the same land up to drilling oil. You don't take perfectly good public land and ruin it by placing thousands of solar cells or wind mills on it. you should encourage private land owners to develop their land. that way you are privatizing the effort even more. If you want to stay in your little hole and not enjoy the out doors whether its off roading, hunting, hiking camping etc. don't ruin it for the rest of us by placing solar cells and wind farms on the public lands available to use. These lands are for all people not just the select few that can spend 500 mil on a wind or solar farm.

The Obama must keep an effort like this off public lands to do otherwise would be horrible.

I hope you've got better ideas because this one is horrible. If I didn't know better I'd say you were a dumb ass Chainey Repbulican. and I am a republican, I should know.

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written by MD, January 16, 2009

Great, more BIG GOV, hey I'm all for weening off the foreign oil teet, but I'm not in favor of more .GOV...

Sorry, I have to side with MarkR here.

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no more gov
written by puck, January 16, 2009

This seems somewhat like an ideological arms race. The term private takes a funny aftertaste considering 3% of the population own 80% of all wealth. Acquired largely with gov help.
Ever traveled east and west, north and south? These 2.3 mega acres are a minimal amount of land compared to the mere vastness of this land.
Pioneers were granted land of their own. So just let's give this land to the solar companies and it will be private.
We need to create reserves for bananas where they can indulge in untouched nature.

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No way Mark
written by Josh, January 16, 2009

Sorry Mark, In no way shape or form is building a solar energy farm as irresponsible as oil drilling. Solar energy is renewable and will ultimately reduce the carbon output for energy needs. Drilling for more oil will only put a band-aid on a larger problem. Perhaps you might also explain exactly how placing solar panels or wind turbines on unused land ruins it? There will be trade offs no matter what the country's energy plan is. There is a much greater global impact to consider that in my opinion is more important than people not wanting to see wind turbines or solar panels on the trails they hike. How much time do you spend in the middle of the dessert anyway? Oil, in any case will only continue to destroy the land you say you value so much in ways that are much more devastating than the inconvenience of a few wind turbines in your line of site.

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written by EV, January 16, 2009

One thing on this, Environmental Impact Statements, which will be required of any large scale solar project, will take one to two years. There are no ways around that, due to the public comment period and expert analysis required.

Perhaps you might also explain exactly how placing solar panels or wind turbines on unused land ruins it?

Well, Wind Mills tend to increase the rodent population around them. The birds of prey stay away as they get killed by the turbines. They are also the main predator for the rodents.

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Wake up Josh
written by MarkR, January 19, 2009

Josh,

1 week last year in the desert, but more time spent on blm in new mexico and Colorado that are not desert. But it really doesn't matter how much time I spend on it. It matters that its there for all citizens to spend time on it.
by the way why don't you throw a bunch of solar panels all across the Grand Canyon while your at it. Because that's the justification your making. why should the hiker and biker care if there are solar panels all across the canyon as they hike bright angle trail? While the GC isn't blm land Thanks for helping making my argument for me. Not to mention once you justify it for solar panels, and wind farms it makes it that much easier to justify it for oil and gas exploration.

Again I say privatize it, keep it off public lands.

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Bush beat you to it
written by Mark L, January 23, 2009

"I'm almost tempted to suggest that Obama create a whole new agency for reviewing these applications, or creating a system to expedite their review."

Former Secretary of Interior Dirk Kempthorn earlier this week issued an order "re-tooling" the BLM in just the way you suggest:
http://www.blm.gov/wo/st/en/info/newsroom/2009/january/NR_01_16A_2009.html

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written by Marge H., July 16, 2009

Please look at recycling water in the large scale solar thermal plants. Water use needs attention.

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