Bureau of Land Management
Solar Energy Permitting and Program Resources
The Approved Record of Decision for Resource Management Plan Amendments for Utility-Scale Solar Energy Development was issued on December 20th, 2024 — details are available on the BLM's Utility-Scale Solar Energy Development PEIS/RMPA webpage. Relevant information on the 2024 Western Solar Plan and the BLM's Renewable Energy Rule issued in July 2024, is in the process of being updated on this website.
Under the 2016 Desert Renewable Energy Conservation Plan (DRECP) Record of Decision (ROD), Development Focus Areas (DFAs) are areas with substantial energy generation potential, access to existing or planned transmission, and low resource conflicts.
In general, BLM California follows the regulations and process for issuing grants non-competitively for DFAs, as described under 43 CFR 2800, specifically 2804.12(a)(b) and (c). Additionally, BLM California will apply incentives defined in the DRECP ROD for applications within DFAs.