Making the Switch

In the first part of this series, The Pressure is On, we laid out the issues, highlighted the current momentum for change, and the action we are beginning to see from congress to address this growing concern.

The current administration has its sights set on an energy dominant United States, putting further pressure on the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) to increase fossil fuel extraction leasing on public lands. This ignores the contribution of emissions from fossil fuel extractions to a rapidly changing climate that is leaving the West and Southwest too hot and too dry. After a 10-year study between the years of 2005-2014, it was determined that 23.7% of total emissions in the United States come from our public lands. The fight against climate change will require an overhaul of fossil fuel dependency and a drastic lowering of greenhouse emissions as a result of fossil fuel extraction and public lands will have to play a part in this effort.

In a recent report by the Hispanic Access Foundation and the Center for American Progress, the research shows that energy development is a major contributor to the loss of natural areas and this has disproportionately affected non-white, low-income communities. Energy development is, more often than not, located in working-class neighborhoods which affects air quality, water quality, and ultimately the quality of life. We should be looking for ways to off-set or eliminate emissions and have the opportunity to do that by putting emphasis on building and supporting more natural spaces with carbon-capturing capabilities, not removing these spaces to build energy infrastructure near communities that already have the least access to public lands and green spaces. This will further contribute to this country’s climbing emissions issue and is counteractive to a sustainable future.

In 2012, the BLM announced the Western Solar Plan that would allow for solar projects on BLM lands in six Southwestern states; Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, and Utah. The projects would be carried out on Designated Leasing Areas (DLAs) which are public lands that were designated by the BLM as having potential for development of renewable energy development. The criteria for this land takes into account solar or wind resources, proximity to existing or planned transmission and highway corridors, and environmental, social, cultural and recreational impacts. Nevada took advantage of this opportunity and is now setting the example for a transition to solar energy and a carbon free future.

In Nevada, heat wave days are expected to quadruple by 2050. In high population areas such as Reno and Las Vegas, the effects of climate change and heat are heightened due to the urban heat island effect which increases the city’s temperature substantially, relative to the surrounding environments and creates a further reliance on energy to keep people and infrastructures cool. Nevada decision makers realized that a reliance on energy generated by fossil fuels will perpetuate the effects of emissions and exacerbate the urban heat island effect. In May 2020, the Wilderness Society released a report on the benefits of renewable energy on public lands, highlighting the Dry Lake Solar Energy Zone as a success of the BLMs Western Solar Project.

The Dry Lake Solar Energy Zone (SEZ) is a solar project that is located in the southern part of Nevada that consists of two separate solar projects that powers around 46,000 homes and displaces the equivalent of 52,000 cars worth of carbon dioxide. The project was implemented on a DLA that is already home to industrial operations where there is already transportation infrastructure, making this project easier to implement with the least impact. There are currently nine approved SEZ projects in Nevada and earlier this month, NV Energy announced the Greenlink Nevada project that will create two transmission line segments that will connect renewable energy sources throughout the state and bring those resources to Northern Nevada. Not only will this project bring around 4,000 jobs and $781 million in economic activity, it will help to advance the state’s goal of 100% carbon free resources by 2050.

Nevada is a state that has long been in the interests of fossil fuel extraction companies. Under the current administration, there have been more than 1.8 million acres of federal land put up for leasing since March of 2017, yet oil production has continued to be futile in the state. People in Nevada recognize the need to take valuable steps to ensure resilience for their communities and has proven the case for responsible and renewable energy production on public lands and a step in the right direction.

This blog is part of a series:
The Pressure is On
Making the Switch
Investing in Natural Spaces
Re-Connecting Landscapes

Blog Series: Are Public Lands a Part of the Climate Solution or Climate Problem?

Making the Switch