미 내무부(Department of the Interior)는 미 서부 지역의 태양광 에너지 개발을 위한 개선된 로드맵을 발표했다. 로드맵은 더 많은 서부 주에서 태양광 에너지 생산을 확대하고 미국 공공 토지에서 신재생에너지를 보다 효율적으로 허용하도록 설계되었다.

국토관리국(Bureau of Land Management)은 또한 애리조나, 캘리포니아, 네바다에서 1천700메가와트 이상의 잠재적 태양광 발전과 1천300메가와트의 잠재적 배터리 저장 용량을 나타내는 여러 재생 가능 프로젝트에 대한 다음 단계를 발표했다.

이러한 이정표는 청정 에너지 및 송전 구축을 가속화해 소비자의 에너지 비용을 낮추고, 극한의 날씨에 정전을 방지하고, 좋은 급여를 받는 노조 일자리를 창출하고, 기후 위기에 대처하고, 모두를 위한 깨끗한 공기와 환경 정의의 우선순위를 향상하고, 2035년까지 100% 청정 전력망을 구축하겠다는 대통령의 목표를 달성한다. 바이든 행정부 출범 이후 국토관리국은 47개의 청정 에너지 프로젝트를 승인했고, 공공 토지에 1만1천236메가와트의 풍력, 태양광, 지열 에너지를 허용했다. 이는 350만 가구 이상의 전력을 공급할 수 있는 양이다.

로라 다니엘 데이비스(Laura Daniel-Davis) 내무부 부장관 대행은 “신재생 에너지 프로젝트를 책임감 있고 신속하게 개발하려는 내무부의 작업은 2035년까지 탄소 무공해 전력 부문이라는 바이든 행정부의 목표를 달성하는 데 매우 중요하다. 개선된 태양광 로드맵은 내무부가 서부 전역에 걸쳐 더 많은 주와 더 많은 곳에서 목표를 달성하는 데 도움이 될 것”이라면서 “바이든 대통령의 '인베스팅 인 아메리카(Investing in America)' 아젠다의 역사적인 투자를 통해 내무부는 기후 변화의 악화되는 영향으로부터 지역 사회를 보호하는 현대적이고 탄력적인 기후 인프라 구축을 돕고 있다”고 말했다.

트레이시 스톤 매닝(Tracy Stone-Manning) 국토관리국 국장은 "국토관리국의 공공 토지는 청정 에너지 전환에서 중요한 역할을 하고 있다. 국토관리국이 서부 전역의 여러 청정 에너지 프로젝트에 대해 발표한 진행 상황은 이러한 목표를 달성하려는 국토관리국의 지속적인 추진력을 나타낸다"면서 "깨끗하고 신뢰할 수 있는 신재생 에너지에 투자하는 것은 청정 에너지 경제를 구축하고, 기후 위기에 대처하고, 미국 에너지 안보를 촉진하고, 전국 지역 사회에서 일자리를 창출하려는 국토관리국의 헌신을 나타낸다"고 말했다.

내무부는 현재와 미래의 국가 청정 에너지 목표, 장기적인 에너지 안보, 기후 회복탄력성 및 개선된 보존 결과를 지원하기 위해 태양광 에너지 프로젝트를 수행하기 위한 국토관리국의 프레임워크를 간소화할 유틸리티 규모의 태양광 에너지 프로그램 환경 영향 보고서(Utility-Scale Solar Environmental Impact Statement, 개선된 서부 태양광 계획)의 분석 초안을 발표했다.

이 제안은 책임감 있는 태양광 개발을 안내하고 개발자에게 확실성을 제공하기 위해 애리조나, 캘리포니아, 콜로라도, 네바다, 뉴멕시코 및 유타에서 태양광 잠재력이 높고 자원 갈등이 낮은 지역을 식별한 국토관리국의 2012 서부 태양광 계획을 개선한 것이다.

15차례 공개 범위 지정 회의를 포함해 수개월 동안 이해관계자 참여를 거친 후 개선된 로드맵은 기존 6개 주의 분석을 개선하고 아이다호, 몬타나, 오레곤, 워싱턴 및 와이오밍을 포함하도록 확장했다.

서부 태양광 계획에 대한 개선을 고려하면서 국토관리국은 미 에너지부의 국립 신재생 에너지 연구소와 긴밀히 협력해 국가 청정 에너지 수요에 대한 예측을 조사하고 이러한 목표를 달성하려면 약 70만 에이커의 공공 토지가 필요할 것이라고 결정했다. 개선된 서부 태양 계획에서 국토관리국의 대안은 태양광 적용을 위해 개방된 약 2천200만 에이커의 토지를 제공해 국가의 청정 에너지 목표를 달성할 수 있는 최대의 유연성을 제공하는 것이다.

국토관리국은 「인플레이션감소법」에서 430만 달러를 활용해 서부 태양광 계획의 중요한 개선에 투자했다. 이 투자는 개발자에게 더 나은 예측 가능성을 제공하는 동시에 현장별 자원 고려 사항을 해결할 수 있는 충분한 유연성을 유지함으로써 태양광 개발 적용 프로세스를 개선하는 데 도움을 줄 수 있다. 이 계획 작업은 또한 10년 전 국토관리국의 마지막 프로그래밍 방식 태양광 발전 계획 노력 이후 발생한 기술 발전과 같은 변화에 대응을 제공하기 위해 노력하고 있다.

한편, 국토관리국은 서부 전역의 여러 신재생 프로젝트에 대한 다음 단계를 발표했는데, 이는 2035년까지 100% 청정 전력망 구축이라는 대통령의 목표를 달성하는 데 도움이 될 프로젝트에 대한 상당한 진전을 의미한다.

[원문보기]

Biden-Harris Administration Announces Significant Progress to Catalyze Solar Energy Development Throughout the West

Updated roadmap for solar development will help meet President Biden’s goals for net-zero electric grid by 2035. Biden-Harris administration has permitted enough clean energy to power more than 3.5 million homes

The Department of the Interior today announced an updated roadmap for solar energy development across the West, designed to expand solar energy production in more Western states and make renewable energy siting and permitting on America’s public lands more efficient. The Bureau of Land Management also announced the next steps on several renewable projects in Arizona, California and Nevada, representing more than 1,700 megawatts of potential solar generation and 1,300 megawatts of potential battery storage capacity.

Together, these milestones represent continued momentum from President Biden’s Investing in America agenda – a key pillar of Bidenomics – which is working to accelerate the clean energy and transmission buildout to lower consumers’ energy costs, prevent power outages in the face of extreme weather, create good-paying union jobs, tackle the climate crisis, advance the priorities of clean air and environmental justice for all, and achieve the President’s goal of a 100 percent clean electricity grid by 2035. During the Biden-Harris administration, the BLM has approved 47 clean energy projects and permitted 11,236 megawatts of wind, solar and geothermal energy on public lands – enough to power more than 3.5 million homes.

“The Interior Department’s work to responsibly and quickly develop renewable energy projects is crucial to achieving the Biden-Harris administration’s goal of a carbon pollution-free power sector by 2035 – and this updated solar roadmap will help us get there in more states and on more lands across the West,” said Acting Deputy Secretary Laura Daniel-Davis. “Through historic investments from President Biden’s Investing in America agenda, the Interior Department is helping build modern, resilient climate infrastructure that protects our communities from the worsening impacts of climate change.”

“Our public lands are playing a critical role in the clean energy transition – and the progress the Bureau of Land Management is announcing today on several clean energy projects across the West represents our continued momentum in achieving those goals,” said BLM Director Tracy Stone-Manning. “Investing in clean and reliable renewable energy represents the BLM's commitment to building a clean energy economy, tackling the climate crisis, promoting American energy security, and creating jobs in communities across the country.”

Updated Roadmap for Solar Energy Development on Public Lands

The Department today published a draft analysis of the Utility-Scale Solar Energy Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (known as the updated Western Solar Plan), which would streamline the BLM’s framework for siting solar energy projects in order to support current and future national clean energy goals, long-term energy security, climate resilience, and improved conservation outcomes.

The proposal is an update of BLM’s 2012 Western Solar Plan, which identified areas in Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico and Utah with high solar potential and low resource conflicts in order to guide responsible solar development and provide certainty to developers. Following months of stakeholder engagements – including 15 public scoping meetings – the updated roadmap refines the analysis in the original six states and expands it to include Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Washington and Wyoming.

In considering updates to the Western Solar Plan, the BLM worked closely with the Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory to examine forecasts for national clean energy needs and determined that approximately 700,000 acres of public lands would be needed to meet those goals. The BLM’s preferred alternative in the updated Western Solar Plan would provide approximately 22 million acres of land open for solar application, giving maximum flexibility to reach the nation’s clean energy goals.  

By directing development to areas that have fewer sensitive resources, less conflict with other uses of public lands, and close proximity to transmission lines, the BLM can permit clean energy more efficiently while maintaining robust public and Tribal engagement, which are central features of all BLM reviews of individual projects.

BLM utilized $4.3 million from the Inflation Reduction Act to invest in these important updates to the Western Solar Plan. This investment is helping improve the solar development application process by providing developers with better predictability, while also maintaining sufficient flexibility to address site-specific resource considerations. This planning work also seeks to provide updates that respond to changes, like advances in technology, that have occurred since the BLM’s last programmatic solar development planning effort over a decade ago.

The analysis announced today evaluates six alternatives, each proposing to make different amounts of public land available to solar development applications under different criteria such as proximity to transmission infrastructure, designated critical habitat, or other important ecological and cultural resources. Public input will inform a Final Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement and Record of Decision. The public can submit written comments through April 18, 2024. More details are available on BLM’s Solar Program website.

Continued Progress on Onshore Renewable Energy Development

The BLM today also announced next steps on several onshore renewable projects throughout the West, representing significant progress on projects that will help achieve the President’s goal of a 100 percent clean electricity grid by 2035.

In Nevada, the BLM is advancing four proposed solar projects:

The BLM released a draft environmental impact statement for the proposed Libra Solar Project in Mineral and Lyon counties, which, if approved, will generate and store up to 700 megawatts of photovoltaic solar energy that would power approximately 212,233 homes.  

The BLM released a draft environmental impact statement for the Rough Hat Clark County Solar Project, which, if approved, will add 400 megawatts of clean solar photovoltaic power to the grid, enough to power approximately 121,276 homes. The proposed project would also include a 700-megawatt battery energy storage system.  

The BLM announced a Notice of Intent for the Dodge Flat II Solar project in Nevada, which, if approved, will generate up to 200 megawatts of photovoltaic solar energy on approximately 700 acres of public lands in Washoe county. This would be enough to power approximately 60,638 homes.  

The BLM released the draft environmental assessment for the Dry Lake East Energy Center Solar Project, which would build a 200 MW photovoltaic solar facility with 200 MW of battery energy storage and an additional 400 MW battery energy storage facility. 

In California, the BLM will release in the coming days a Notice to Proceed for the Camino Solar Project in Kern County, allowing construction to begin on a 44-megawatt photovoltaic solar facility on 233 acres of public land that will power approximately 13,340 homes.  

In Arizona, the BLM today announced that construction of the White Wing Ranch Solar Project has been completed. White Wing Ranch is a 179-megawatt solar photovoltaic project located on private lands in Yuma County with a generation interconnection (gen-tie) line across approximately 3.5 miles of BLM administered land. This project has the potential to power 54,271 homes.  

The BLM also announced that construction on the Harquahala Valley (HV) Sunrise gen-tie line in Arizona will begin in February. It will connect the HV Sun solar project, which is a 150-megawatt solar photovoltaic project located on 1,000 acres of private lands in Maricopa County, with a gen-tie transmission line across approximately 1.1 miles of BLM administered land. This project will power approximately 45,479 homes.

The BLM is currently processing 67 utility-scale onshore clean energy projects proposed on public lands in the western United States. This includes solar, wind, and geothermal projects, as well as gen-tie lines that are vital to clean energy projects proposed on non-federal land. These projects have the combined potential to add more than 37 gigawatts of renewable energy to the western electric grid. The BLM is also undertaking the preliminary review of over 195 applications for solar and wind development, as well as 97 applications for solar and wind energy site area testing.

[출처 =Department of the Interior(Biden-Harris Administration Announces Significant Progress to Catalyze Solar Energy Development Throughout the West | U.S. Department of the Interior (doi.gov)) / 1월 17일]

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