Triggered missed date from extending Final decision/agency action (Agency Action) within 30 days of its current target date which was 01/07/2026 and extended to 07/07/2028
Description:
Bonanza Solar, LLC submitted a right-of-way application for the Bonanza Solar Project to the Bureau of Land Management on December 4, 2020. A Preliminary Plan of Development for the Bonanza Solar Project was submitted on March 5, 2021 and an updated version was provided on August 22, 2022.
Milestones:
Bonanza Solar, LLC submitted a right-of-way application for the Bonanza Solar Project to the Bureau of Land Management on December 4, 2020. The application indicated that a plan of development, required for right-of-way applications, would be submitted within 60 days of the application filing. A plan of development for the Bonanza Solar Project was submitted on March 5, 2021. The required application fee was paid on May 26, 2021.
A completed right-of-way application must include all items specified in 43 CFR 2804.12(a) - (c), and (e), as applicable. A completed right-of-way application will also include determination of cost recovery and submission of funds under 43 CFR 2804.14.
NOTE: All milestones that occur after the "Agency Application Evaluation & Variance Determination" are subject to the Agency making a favorable determination to continue processing the application.
Additional Milestones:
Bonanza Solar, LLC submitted a right-of-way application for the Bonanza Solar Project to the Bureau of Land Management on December 4, 2020. A preliminary plan of development for the Bonanza Solar Project was submitted on March 5, 2021 and updated on August 22, 2022.
The regulations state that the BLM will “Apply screening criteria to prioritize processing of applications with lesser conflicts over applications with greater resource conflicts…” (43 CFR §2804.25(e)(ii)). Regulations further state that “High-priority applications are given processing priority over medium- and low-priority applications…” (43 CFR §2804.35(a)).
The BLM completed the processing priority review of the application, in accordance with the regulations, on September 8, 2021. On August 22, 2022 the BLM initiated a 32-day public input period on the Variance right-of-way application, which included an agency virtual meeting on September 1, 2022, and two public virtual meetings on September 7, 2022 and September 8, 2022. The BLM received approximately 35 agency, organization, and public comments.
Right-of-way applications for renewable energy development involve an application evaluation process (43 CFR §2804.25(e)(2)(iii)). As part of the evaluation process, the Bonanza Solar Project must complete a Variance Process, as specified in the Record of Decision for the Western Solar Plan Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement. On April 26, 2023, the BLM Director concurred to the Nevada State Director to move this project into the National Environmental Policy process and start environmental review.
NOTE: All milestones that occur after the "Agency Application Evaluation & Variance Determination" are subject to the Agency making a favorable determination to continue processing the application.
PROJECT WEBSITE: Bonanza Solar Project
All dates below are specific to the schedule of the Environmental Review and Permitting processes for this project.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW AND PERMITTING STATUS
IN PROGRESS
ESTIMATED COMPLETION DATE OF ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW AND PERMITTING
01/07/2026
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW AND PERMITTING PROCESSES
COMPLETED
SECTOR
Renewable Energy Production
CATEGORY
Project Category
FAST-41 Covered Projects
LEAD AGENCY
Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management
View FAST-41 Postings by Agencies
Other Agencies with Actions or Authorizations:
Department of the Interior, Fish and Wildlife Service
Description:
Bonanza Solar, LLC proposes to construct, operate, and decommission a 300 MW solar photovoltaic and battery energy storage system electrical generation plant and associated facilities on approximately half of the 5,133 acre "application area". The proposed project site is entirely on land administered by the Bureau of Land Management, Southern Nevada District. The proposed project would be on Solar Variance lands as identified in the 2012 Final Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement for Solar Energy Development in Six Southwestern States (Solar PEIS).
6/13/2025 Update:
The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) missed the June 5, 2025 milestone to publish the Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS).
Per 42 U.S.C.§ 4370m-2(c)(2)(F), BLM is required to provide an alternative completion date and an initial explanation for the missed completion date by June 13, 2025. BLM has provided the initial explanation for the missed date, but has not yet provided the required alternative completion date.
The Executive Director is working directly with BLM leadership to ensure an alternative completion date is determined and represented on the permitting timetable as soon as possible.
The DOI-BLM internal review and briefing process is occurring during a transition period for new Bureau and Department leadership. As such, the review of the project is requiring enhanced coordination that has affected the timeline for this project.
NOTE: All milestones that occur after the "Agency Application Evaluation & Variance Determination" are subject to the Agency making a favorable determination to continue processing the application.