In recent years, people have become more aware at exactly how important harnessing energy from the sun can be for our planet. Even government agencies all over the world have made solar energy production a priority for their nations.
Since it
seems the solar movement is here to stay, Arizona and other sunny states have
become a hotbed (no pun intended) for gathering the renewable energy source,
mostly due to their warmer temperatures and typically abundant sunshine.
That’s
why the Obama administration developed a program back in October of 2012 that would
put solar energy projects in six Western states on the fast-track to being
completed, working, and running full time.
Once the
program was finalized, the Interior Department set aside around 285,000 acres
of land in Arizona, California, Colorado, Utah and New Mexico for commercial
solar energy use. The federal government will not only offer incentives for
developing the land for solar energy use, but will help facilitate the projects
by easing the permitting process in these designated areas.
Now that
plan is being put into action.
Last Friday,
Ken Salazar, Secretary of the Interior, finalized a plan to set aside 192,000
acres of public Arizona land for solar energy use. According to the Obama
administration’s initiative, the project will begin quickly and will be able to
take advantage of the beautiful Arizona weather.
The plan also established the
2,250-acre Agua Caliente Solar Energy Zone, making it the third solar zone
established on public land in Arizona, and the 18th nation-wide.
A
proponent of solar and wind energy, Salazar has helped expand solar use on
public lands throughout his time in office. During his term, the White House
approved 34 renewable energy projects on public lands.
Secretary Salazar will
be stepping down from office in March, but the plans he’s enacted will
continue, saving money, energy, and resources for the planet.