Feds Eyeing 1 Million Acres in Oregon for Solar Projects

The original plan reaches back to an Obama Administration-era push for solar energy projects.

  Bureau of Land Management adds Oregon to project list

in 2012, as part of the environmental 'green' energy push from the Obama Administration that included hundreds of millions in defaulted green energy loans to companies like solar panel maker Solyndra, BLM began to set aside or consider tracts of land in various western states for solar projects.

Previously, the Western Solar Plan only included Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, and Utah. Now, as of August 29th, the following states have been added:

Oregon, Idaho, Montana, Washington and Wyoming

 The 2012 Western Solar Plan identified or targeted multiple sites for solar farms, as reportedly there are certain energy goals the Federal government wants to reach by 2035.

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Nearly 1.1 million acres in Oregon have been identified as potential locations for solar farms. A little over 50 percent of land in OR is owned by or managed by the BLM and the US Forest Service.

These areas have reportedly been looked at in locations that are relatively free from frequent violent weather incidents, such as hailstorms or other events that can damage solar panels.

Officials have not laid out specific timetables yet for when these projects might begin.