QUARTZSITE – The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) invites the public to participate in an informational pre-application workshop regarding the Orion Solar facility proposed on BLM-administered public lands south of Interstate 10, 30 miles east of Quartzsite. The Feb. 19 workshop will take place from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Quartzsite Community Center, 295 E. Chandler Street.
The BLM is considering a proposal from 174 Power Global, Corp. to construct, operate, maintain, and decommission a utility-scale photovoltaic solar facility on 4,654 acres of BLM-administered public land in southeastern La Paz County. The proposed project would produce approximately 800 megawatts of electricity constructed in two or more phases. A 4.6-mile 500 kilovolt transmission line would connect the solar facility to the regional electrical system via an adjacent new substation for the approved Ten West Link 500 kilovolt transmission line.
The project would be within a variance area, which are BLM-administered public lands that are outside of a BLM solar energy zone identified in BLM’s Western Solar Plan. Variance areas are potentially available for utility-scale solar energy development, but the BLM must consider projects proposed in variance areas in accordance with the established BLM variance process.
The BLM will hold the Feb. 19 public meeting with a presentation followed by a public workshop, to inform the public about the project and the variance process, and solicit feedback on the solar facility proposal.
The BLM manages more than 245 million acres of public land located primarily in 12 western states, including Alaska. The BLM also administers 700 million acres of sub-surface mineral estate throughout the nation.
In fiscal year 2018, the diverse activities authorized on BLM-managed lands generated $105 billion in economic output across the country. This economic activity supported 471,000 jobs and contributed substantial revenue to the U.S. Treasury and state governments, mostly through royalties on minerals.
