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Milestone Extension: Endangered Species Act Consultation (DOI-FWS)

Submitted by craig.litteken… on

As part of BLM’s effort to align with the Department of the Interior’s July 15, 2025 memorandum, updates to the Project schedule, including updating the milestone dates on the FAST-41 Dashboard, are necessary to comply with the new requirement that all wind and solar energy project decisions, actions, consultations, and other undertakings be routed through the Office of the Secretary for final review prior to the agency taking action.
The July 15, 2025 Department Memo from the Office of the Secretary requires “all decisions, actions, consultations, and other undertakings—including but not limited to the following—related to wind and solar energy facilities shall require submission to the Office of the Executive Secretariat and Regulatory Affairs, subsequent review by the Office of the Deputy Secretary, and final review by the Office of the Secretary…” These reviews will require additional time during several stages of the environmental process.
The revised schedule extends the BLM’s target dates for issuance of the NEPA document, Section 106 consultation with the Nevada State Historic Preservation Office and Tribes, and the Right-of-Way authorization by approximately nine months. The revised schedule also extends the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s target dates for Section 7 consultation under the Endangered Species Act.

Action
Project Name: Responsible Agency:
Fish and Wildlife Service
Agency Status: Cooperating under FAST-41
Status:
Planned
POC Name:
Glen Knowles
POC Title:
Field Supervisor

Milestones:

ESA Consultation Request Package Submitted (Agency Action)
Current Target Date:
FWS determines ESA Consultation Package is Complete - Formal (Agency Action)
Current Target Date:
ESA Consultation Concludes (Agency Action)
Current Target Date:
Milestone
ESA Consultation Concludes (Agency Action)
Current Target Date:
Project

All dates below are specific to the schedule of the Environmental Review and Permitting processes for this project.

In Progress

ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW AND PERMITTING STATUS
IN PROGRESS

icon_calendar

ESTIMATED COMPLETION DATE OF ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW AND PERMITTING
12/06/2027

0 out of 4

ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW AND PERMITTING PROCESSES
COMPLETED

Renewable Energy Production

SECTOR
Renewable Energy Production

Project Category

CATEGORY
Project Category FAST-41 Covered Projects

Department of the Interior

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

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.

The Executive Director granted a Bureau of Land Management request to extend the Right-of-Way Authorization, NEPA, and ESA-FWS completion dates on July 9, 2025. The Executive Director determination is posted here.

field_status
System Comments
Furthest out
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 637
From: 11/16/2026
To: 07/29/2027
Approver Comments
Executive Director Determination signed on 11/13/25 approving the requested milestone date changes.
Missed Date Process
No
Missed Date Triggered by Extension
No
Original Milestone
ESA Consultation Concludes (Agency Action)
Current Target Date:
Furthest Original Target Date Milestone
ESA Consultation Concludes (Agency Action)
Current Target Date: