Boosting clean energy
Mason Cummings, TWS
Public lands are critical for a clean energy future
Renewable energy development on public lands is a key part of America’s clean energy future. But if these projects aren't sited in the right places, they can do as much harm as good for our environment.
We work to ensure renewable energy projects are built in specially designated zones and other locations that have high energy potential and lower impacts on wildlands. We support the Bureau of Land Management's financial incentives for solar, wind and geothermal energy projects in designated zones. We also support legislation in Congress called the Public Land Renewable Energy Development Act. If passed, this act would direct development to pre-screened zones and encourage efficient permitting. At the same time, the act would ensure the protection of wild places and give local communities economic benefits.
Promoting responsible transmission infrastructure to transport clean energy to cities and towns is equally important to protecting wildlands. The West-wide Energy Corridors are an example of such smart siting. Ongoing efforts to improve these corridors can serve our clean energy needs while limiting impacts to the environment.
Our public lands have a key role to play in our nation's transition from dirty fossil fuels to a clean energy future. Through responsible development, we can build that future while protecting America’s irreplaceable wildlands and wildlife.
Impacted places
What we're doing
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Promoting wise development
We support the transition to a clean energy economy by promoting the responsible development of renewable energy and associated transmission on federal public lands.
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Locating sites where development does less damage
We work with federal agencies, states, local governments, industry and conservation partners to find appropriate areas for development on public lands that have high energy potential and lower impacts on wildlands and wildlife.
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Advocating for responsible policies
We defend and advocate for federal policies and regional plans, like the Desert Renewable Energy Conservation Plan in California, that protect wild places and incentivize responsible renewable energy development on public lands.
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Protecting vulnerable wildlands
We protect irreplaceable wildlands and wildlife habitat from all types of energy development. If renewable energy projects are proposed in these areas, we work to shift development to less impactful locations.
