Quartzsite Solar Energy Project

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.