Friday, Sept. 10, 2004 | 10:45 a.m.
WASHINGTON -- About 37,400 acres of Bureau of Land Management property in Nevada could bring money to the state through wind power development, according to a draft environmental assessment released today.
The bureau has been evaluating potential wind power sites in Nevada and 10 other Western states as part of the Bush administration's goal to develop renewable energy resources on public lands.
Rebecca Watson, the department's assistant secretary of Land and Minerals Management, said Nevada has 25 percent of the BLM land that could support wind farms and would be able to transfer power from the farms to consumers. California has 45 percent, making Nevada the second state in potential.
"Nevada is sitting in a good position," Watson said.
The public has 90 days to review and offer comments on the draft report, which was developed after the BLM held public meetings in Las Vegas and other Western cities in November 2003 to gather information on what it should study. A final report is expected in July.
The report evaluated the environmental, social and economic impact wind power could have on federal land in Western states, except Alaska, and ways to manage the impact.
"People talk about green energy as if it is free from environmental impacts, but that is far from the case," Watson said.
Watson said Nevada could be able to produce 390 megawatts of power through wind by the end of 2005. The bureau estimates 700 megawatts could be produced by 2025 -- enough to provide power to 250,000 homes. The report also estimates wind power could bring $53 million in employee income through construction jobs and other positions and generate $14 million in sales tax revenue in the next 20 years.
Once the bureau issues the final report next year, the agency will be able to change land use management plans that may not include wind power development, since it was not an option when the plans were completed.
Watson said the report does not list or assess specific areas in Nevada that could be developed as wind farms, but just evaluated all of the BLM land in the state to determine what would be suitable to move forward.
Watson said a specific environmental assessment would still need to be done on an individual project, but this can serve as a first step to save time and money for the bureau.
archive
