DOI Halts Development of Largest Solar Project in the US
The US Department of the Interior's Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has canceled an environmental impact review of Esmeralda 7, a proposed 6.2-GW solar + storage project in Esmeralda County, Nevada.
The project, which would have consisted of seven separate arrays, was sited on 62,300 acres of BLM land. According to the BLM's website, the project is listed as canceled under the National Environmental Policy Act status.
Solar Power World reached out to the BLM for comment, but was met with a voicemail stating that nobody is in the office due to federal government shutdowns. The project had entered the BLM's purview in November 2023, with periods for public comment and bureau project scoping.
A ruling on the project was originally planned for April 2025, but it appears that this will no longer happen.
No comment was available from the BLM due to federal government shutdowns.
Author's summary: US DOI cancels environmental review of 6.2-GW solar project.