SALT LAKE CITY — As part of its ongoing efforts to support responsible renewable energy development on public lands, the Bureau of Land Management is hosting a public scoping meeting in Salt Lake City to gather feedback on the recently announced programmatic environmental impact statement for BLM’s utility-scale solar energy planning.
The BLM is considering updates to its 2012 western solar plan, which included six southwestern states – Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico and Utah – and is seeking comments on expanding its solar plan to five additional states: Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Washington and Wyoming . The Salt Lake City gathering is one of a series of gatherings taking place throughout January and February in various western states, as well as in Washington, DC and virtually. The full schedule of meetings can be found on the BLM website.
“The BLM is committed to expanding renewable energy development on public lands to help move the nation toward a clean energy future, improve America’s energy security and create high-paying union jobs,” he said BLM Director Tracy Stone-Manning. “We look forward to hearing from the public about effective ways to expand our nation’s solar generating capacity while continuing to provide robust protection of our public lands and waters.”
The Salt Lake City meeting will be held on February 7, 2023 from 12:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. MST at the BLM Utah State Office, 440 W. 200 South, Suite 500, Salt Lake City, UT 84101, in the Monument Room. Parking is available at The Gateway in the multi-storey car parks. The South Garage, accessible from 400 West and 100 South, provides convenient access to the BLM Utah State Office. Parking is free for the first hour, $2 for up to two hours, and $2 an hour thereafter, up to $12 for the whole day. People who need special support, such as B. Sign language interpretation and other reasonable accommodations should contact the BLM at [email protected]
The Letter of Intent to Update the BLM’s 2012 Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement was published on federal register on December 8, 2022, with interested parties invited to submit written feedback or attend any of the in-person or virtual public scoping meetings.
The public comment period remains open for 15 days after the last public scoping meeting. For the most up-to-date information on these meetings and the Memorandum of Understanding, visit the BLM’s ePlanning website.
An additional virtual meeting will be held on February 13, 2023 from 12:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. MST for those unable to attend the in-person meeting in Salt Lake. Pre-registration is required. Click here to register. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email with information on how to join the meeting.