Bureau of Land Management
Solar Energy Permitting and Program Resources
The websites listed below provide information relating to the development or impacts of utility-scale solar energy projects. Clink a link category from the list below to view links to governmental agency offices administering solar programs, and to solar organizations and resources.
The Bureau of Land Management (BLM), an agency within the U.S. Department of the Interior, manages 261 million surface acres and 700 million acres of subsurface mineral estate—more land than any other federal agency, with most being in the Western states, including Alaska. The BLM sustains the health, diversity, and productivity of the public lands for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations.
The BLM solar energy page discusses BLM projects and initiatives related to solar energy development on BLM-administered lands.
The EERE accelerates development and facilitates deployment of energy efficiency and renewable energy technologies and market-based solutions that strengthen U.S. energy security, environmental quality, and economic vitality.
The Solar Energy Technologies Office supports early-stage research and development in the technology areas of photovoltaics, concentrating solar-thermal power, and systems integration with the goal of improving the affordability, reliability, and performance of solar technologies on the grid.
The Energy Information Administration (EIA) is a statistical agency of the U.S. Department of Energy. EIA provides policy-independent data, forecasts, and analyses to promote policy making, efficient markets, and public understanding regarding energy and its interaction with the economy and the environment. The EIA website has a glossary of energy-related terms and many other useful reference materials.
Argonne National Laboratory has partnered with Northwestern University and other world-class research universities to form the ANSER Center. The long-term vision of this center is to develop the fundamental understanding, materials and methods necessary to create dramatically more efficient technologies for solar fuels and electricity production.
The NREL is the nation's primary laboratory for renewable energy and energy efficiency research and development (R&D). The Solar Energy Basics site provides overviews of concentrating solar power, photovoltaics, and several other solar energy topics.
The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) has developed an interactive mapping tool, called the National Solar Radiation Database (NSRDB) Viewer, that allows users to examine, distribute, and analyze solar resource data for the United States and northern Mexico. It assists in making decisions about optimal locations for CSP plants. Users can explore temporal and spatial aspects of NREL's solar resource data and can download the resource data for use outside of the tool.
Sandia National Laboratories works with the U.S. photovoltaic industry, the U.S. Department of Energy, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, other government agencies, and international organizations to increase the world-wide use of photovoltaic power systems by reducing cost, improving reliability, increasing performance, removing barriers, and growing markets.
This website provides information and guidance for the photovoltaic community and interested public based on work funded primarily by the U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, Solar Technologies Program. This center has been established at Brookhaven National Laboratory to provide focused environmental health safety information to the photovoltaic community.
ASES is a nonprofit organization dedicated to increasing the use of solar energy, energy efficiency, and other sustainable technologies in the U.S.
SEPA facilitates the use and integration of solar electric power by utilities, electric service providers, and their customers. SEPA provides tools to utilities and electric service providers supporting the use and integration of solar; fosters business-to-business networking; shares information on solar electric technologies, applications, and programs; and evaluates and reports on policies, regulations, and legislation.
SEIA is the national trade association of solar energy manufacturers, dealers, distributors, contractors, installers, architects, consultants, and marketers. SEIA works to expand the use of solar technologies in the global marketplace.
SolarPACES is an international cooperative network bringing together teams of national experts from around the world to focus on the development and marketing of concentrating solar power systems. It is a collaborative program, called an Implementing Agreement, managed under the International Energy Agency to help find solutions to worldwide energy problems.
The DRECP helps to provide effective protection and conservation of California desert ecosystems while allowing for the appropriate development of renewable energy projects.
Established to address population declines and focus on recovery of the Mojave desert tortoise which occurs north and west of the Colorado River in California, Nevada, Arizona, and Utah.
CHAT is an online system of maps displaying crucial wildlife habitat and corridors across the West.