The Bureau of Land Management is seeking preliminary input for potential solar, battery energy storage and wind generation projects in Idaho.
The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is seeking public input on two renewable energy projects in Iowa proposed by Arevia Power.
The meeting, which will be held online, and is a pre-National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) meeting designed to gain feedback for the proponent, and help the BLM determine how they will move forward with the proposed rights of way applications. While BLM is seeking the public’s input, it is not a formal comment period that otherwise might be associated with the NEPA process.
The proposed projects are for a 400 MW Snake River Energy Solar facility and a 500 MW Taurus Wind facility. The facilities will share a 550 MW battery energy storage facility and a transmission line to the Midpoint Substation.
The two projects will be located on 3,803 acres of BLM-managed public land in Gooding, Jerome, and Lincoln counties. As this is very preliminary, BLM told pv magazine that a more precise description of the two projects’ locations within the three counties will be provided at the time of the meeting.
“Hearing from the public and our partners in local, state, federal and Tribal governments provides critical information to support the BLM’s review as we decide how to move forward with these rights-of-way applications,” said Lisa Cresswell, the acting field manager of BLM’s Shoshone field office.
The informational forum will be held on Tuesday, January 28, 2025 from 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. MT on Zoom. The meeting, which you can register for here, will
- begin with information about the BLM’s pre-NEPA application process,
- followed by presentations about the two projects, and then
- conclude a period for the public to provide feedback, which BLM asks people limit to two minutes per person.
BLM said the feedback that will be the most helpful might identify potential local concerns, barriers or opportunities related to the proposed projects, as well as people’s input about the types of use within the proposed area (such as recreational activities).
The public may also submit their input by email until Feb. 7, 2025:
