BLM’s justification for this permitting timetable extension is based on the timing of the Project Sponsor’s submission of a cultural resource survey and Bald and Golden Eagle survey, which BLM requires prior to proceeding with the NEPA process for the Project. To account for the additional time needed for the Project Sponsor to complete these surveys and BLM to subsequently review the Project Sponsor’s submissions, BLM is requesting an extension of approximately six months for issuance of the final NEPA document and the right-of-way authorization.
The intermediate and final completion dates for the ESA consultation are dependent on the NEPA action because information and analysis contained in the draft EA is pertinent to development of the ESA consultation package. Accordingly, BLM will not submit a consultation request to FWS until issuance of the draft EA, and therefore, requests an extension of the ESA consultation completion dates proportionate to the extension of the NEPA completion dates
Milestones:
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
01/27/2027
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:
The Silver Star Solar 1 (project) would be entirely on land administered by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), Southern Nevada District Office (SNDO) in the unincorporated Town of Amargosa Valley, Nye County, Nevada. The proposed project includes construction, operation, maintenance, and decommissioning of a 650 megawatt (MW) alternating current solar photovoltaic power generating facility with a 650 MW battery energy storage system on approximately 3,005 acres. The solar generation field would be located approximately five miles south of U.S. Highway 95 and six miles west of State Highway 373. Death Valley National Park is approximately four miles southwest of the Project. 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).
The Executive Director granted a Bureau of Land Management request to extend the Right-of-Way Authorization, NEPA, and ESA-FWS completion dates on December 20, 2024. The Executive Director determination is posted here.
Original Target Date: 10/30/2025
Milestone: ESA Consultation Concludes (Agency Action)
Requested extensions greater than 30 days for this Action are shown below:
ESA Consultation Concludes (Agency Action) extended by 382
From: 05/08/2026
To: 11/16/2026