posted on Wednesday, December 21, 2005 3:14 PM by Andrea Robinson

BLM Establishes Wind Energy Development Program

Implementing a recommendation of the President's National Energy Policy Development Group that federal agencies work to increase renewable energy production, last week the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) established a Wind Energy Development Program (Program) to promote wind energy generation on federal lands.  The Program purports to strike a balance between streamlining processes for the development of wind energy resources and protecting public lands’ wildlife and scenic resources.   

Finalized after numerous stakeholder meetings and rounds of comments over two years, the Program will administer the development of wind resources in 11 western states that jointly host vast wind energy potential:  Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington and Wyoming.  BLM's management strategy for the Program consists of policies, which map how BLM will administer the Program and identify best management practices (BMP) for mitigating environmental impacts.  These policies and BMPs will apply to all wind energy development projects on BLM-administered public lands.   

The policies identify certain lands where wind energy development will not be permitted.  These include Wilderness Areas, National Monuments, Wild and Scenic Rivers, and National Trails.  Thy also establish requirements for public involvement, consultation with other federal and state agencies, and government-to-government consultation; explain how project-level environmental review will occur; require entities seeking to develop wind energy projects on BLM-administered public lands to propose a project-specific Plan of Development (Plan) that incorporates all the BMPs; and require project operators to consult with BLM and other agencies on planned upgrades and to develop programs to monitor environmental conditions.  The BMPs, on the other hand, will be adopted as required elements of project-specific Plans or as conditions on right-of-way authorizations.  BMPs address various development activities, from site monitoring and testing, Plan development, and construction to operation and decommissioning.  The BMPs for project-specific Plan development identify required mitigation elements of the Plan needed to address potential impacts associated with subsequent phases of development, and consider impacts to wildlife, visual resources, noise, cultural and historic resources, and human health and safety. 

With its provision of a more uniform procedure for wind energy projects, and its requirements that project plans include uniform policies and BMPs, the Program seeks to provide a streamlined approval process and to balance the interests of project developers, environmental groups and property owners.  For real progress to be made in the development of wind, however, these efforts will need to be combined with solutions to the technological and financial challenges of moving wind generation from typically remote areas of the country to the urban centers.  Unfortunately, the Program and national energy policy generally have not taken up this challenge.