The Bureau of Land Management has signed an agreement for a solar power collector line to cross BLM lands in Emery County.
The initiative is part of the Biden-Harris Administration’s efforts to deploy renewable energy on public lands to “create good paying jobs and reach 100% carbon-pollution-free electricity by 2035,” according to a news release. The project could deliver power to 70,000 homes once constructed.
The solar power collector will consist of circuits to carry power generated from the planned Hornshadow Photovoltaic Facility, a large-scale solar farm that will be connected to the public power grid, according to the BLM. Documents for the project state that Hornshadow is an affiliate of Enyo Renewable Energy LLC, a Utah-based solar and wind company.
“The BLM manages vast stretches of public lands that have the potential to make significant contributions to the nation’s renewable energy portfolio,” BLM Utah State Director Greg Sheehan said in the release. “We are proud to support the development of clean energy and recognize the potential BLM Utah has to contribute to the Administration’s goals.”
A BLM spokesperson said the power collector line will cross about 1.5 miles of BLM land, and the Photovoltaic Facility will be located on private and Utah School and Institutional Trust Lands Administration (SITLA) lands. The line will take about 18 days of construction.
According to project documents, the majority of the collector line will be sited along portions of existing road and other power line right-of-ways, minimizing environmental impact.