Department of the Interior

The proposed Chokecherry and Sierra Madre project, located on approximately 230,000 acres in Carbon County, Wyoming, could produce up to 3,000 MW of wind energy – enough to power over 1 million homes. The Chokecherry and Sierra Madre Wind Farm Project is the largest proposed wind farm in North America. The project, as currently configured, avoids critical sage-grouse habitat identified as "Sage-Grouse Core Areas". Chokecherry is a multi-tiered decision process that includes a land use plan decision anticipated in October 2012, followed by review of a series of right-of-way applications through 2014. The purpose of the federal permitting process is to ensure that federal agencies take into account all legal and regulatory requirements, environmental and cultural considerations and weigh the sometimes competing interests of various stakeholders in reaching a decision about whether to approve the project, and if so, to do so in a way that provides the best outcome for the environment, stakeholders and the community. Since this is a complex project requiring review and approval by multiple federal, state and local agencies and impacting the interests of a variety of stakeholders and local communities, there is an important opportunity for early collaboration, coordination and outreach. The project has already demonstrated these best practices by coordinating with the Wyoming Game and Fish Department and US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS). This early coordination has resulted in numerous mutually-agreed upon wildlife monitoring practices that will improve the siting of wind turbines. Additionally, the project proponent has significantly modified its proposed action to take into account issues raised by the public with regards to potential conflicts with other resource uses in the area. The proponent has worked closely with the USFWS and Wyoming Game and Fish Department to identify and implement appropriate studies.

The proposed project consists of a 95-mile 16-inch natural gas liquids pipeline proposed by Enterprise Mid-America Pipeline. The pipeline would follow an existing pipeline corridor across Rio Blanco, Garfield, and Mesa counties in Colorado, and Uintah and Grand counties in Utah, traversing approximately 70 miles of BLM-managed lands and 25 miles of private lands. The pipeline would increase the company's capacity for transporting natural gas liquids from Wyoming and Colorado to Hobbs, New Mexico. According to the Applicant, the proposed project would increase transport capacity of natural gas liquids from production in Utah and Wyoming, helping to meet foreseeable demand for natural gas in the region.

The purpose of the federal permitting process is to ensure that federal agencies take into account all legal and regulatory requirements, environmental and cultural considerations and weigh the sometimes competing interests of various stakeholders in reaching a decision about whether to approve the project, and if so, to do so in a way that provides the best outcome for the environment, stakeholders and the community.

Since this is a complex project requiring review and approval by multiple federal, state and local agencies and impacting the interests of a variety of stakeholders and local communities, there is an important opportunity for early collaboration, coordination and outreach.

This proposed solar photovoltaic array would be situated on 4,893 acres in Riverside County, California. It would produce an estimated 750 MW of solar energy – enough clean energy to power 225,000 homes – while helping the State of California meet its targets for renewable energy. The purpose of the federal permitting process is to ensure that federal agencies take into account all legal and regulatory requirements, environmental and cultural considerations and weigh the sometimes competing interests of various stakeholders in reaching a decision about whether to approve the project, and if so, to do so in a way that provides the best outcome for the environment, stakeholders and the community. Since this is a complex project requiring review and approval by multiple federal agencies and impacting the interests of a variety of stakeholders, there is an important opportunity for early collaboration, coordination and outreach. Such early coordination has been taking place under the Department's Smart from the Start program. The DOI agencies have been meeting on a regular basis to discuss the project and identify and resolve conflicts early in the process.

The proposed Mohave County Wind Farm is a wind-powered electrical generation facility that would be located on approximately 38,099 acres of public land managed by the Bureau of Land Management and 8,960 acres of land managed by the Bureau of Reclamation in Mohave County, Arizona. If approved, it would produce up to 500 MW of wind energy and help the state of Arizona meet its targets for renewable energy. The purpose of the federal permitting process is to ensure that federal agencies take into account all legal and regulatory requirements, environmental and cultural considerations and weigh the sometimes competing interests of various stakeholders in reaching a decision about whether to approve the project, and if so, to do so in a way that provides the best outcome for the environment, stakeholders and the community. Since this is a complex project requiring review and approval by multiple federal agencies and impacting the interests of a variety of stakeholders, there is an important opportunity for early collaboration, coordination and outreach. Such early coordination has been taking place under the Departments Smart from the Start program. The federal agencies have been meeting on a regular basis to discuss the project and identify and resolve conflicts early in the process. This project has also offered an opportunity to implement the FWS wind guidance and the Bald and Golden Eagle Act and coordinate with tribes regarding a possible request for ethnographic studies.

The proposed concentrating solar power plant would be located on approximately 1,675 acres of land managed by the Bureau of Land Management. It would produce an estimated 100 MW of clean energy enough to power about 30,000 homes and help the State of Arizona meet its renewable energy goals. The purpose of the federal permitting process is to ensure that federal agencies take into account all legal and regulatory requirements, environmental and cultural considerations and weigh the sometimes competing interests of various stakeholders in reaching a decision about whether to approve the project, and if so, to do so in a way that provides the best outcome for the environment, stakeholders and the community. Since this is a complex project requiring review and approval by multiple federal agencies and impacting the interests of a variety of stakeholders, there is an important opportunity for early collaboration, coordination and outreach. Such early coordination has been taking place under the Department's Smart from the Start program. The federal agencies have been meeting on a regular basis to discuss the project and identify and resolve conflicts early in the process.