WASHINGTON - June 29 - Interior Secretary Ken Salazar has shed some light today on the Obama administration’s plan to increase renewable energy, outlining a new process for identifying possible solar energy development areas on public lands throughout the West.

The Interior Department also plans to release maps showing where potential solar development areas may be located early this week.

The following is a statement from Bob Irvin, Defenders of Wildlife’s senior vice president for conservation programs.

“With the passage of a cap and trade bill by the U.S. House of Representatives last week and today’s announcement by Secretary Salazar of plans to increase renewable energy development, it is clear that we finally have the political leadership necessary to confront our biggest environmental challenge, global warming. But as we move toward a clean energy future, it’s imperative for our future and the future of our wild places and wildlife that we get the planning process right. That means we need smart planning for renewable power that avoids and minimizes adverse impacts on wildlife and wild lands. These projects should be placed in the least harmful locations, near existing transmission lines and on already disturbed lands.

“We appreciate the Interior Department moving forward with a process to identify pilot areas for solar energy development. And we encourage land managers to consider a strategy for long-term conservation of these public lands as well as a sustainable strategy for renewable energy development.”

Read our principles for balancing renewable energy development and land conservation in a warming world.

 

Learn more about California’s ground-breaking efforts to establish siting criteria for solar power in the desert.