NEW: On May 3, 2021 the BLM signed a Record of Decision for the Crimson Solar Project, authorizing the project on federal lands. By its decision the BLM approves the amendment to the California Desert Conservation Area Plan to identify the Crimson Solar Project site as suitable for solar energy generation, allows construction of a high-voltage transmission line outside of a designated utility corridor, and authorizes issuance of one or more ROW grant(s) to Sonoran West Solar Holdings, LLC for the Selected Alternative. The Selected Alternative consists of a combination of design elements DE-1 and DE-3 under Alternative B, the facility sizes, locations, and separation by unit under Alternative C, and the paved access road from Power Line Road.
Click on the "Documents" link on the left-side navigation bar to view and download the Record of Decision.
On February 12, 2021, the Environmental Protection Agency published in the Federal Register a notice announcing the release of the Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) titled "Crimson Solar Project Final Environmental Impact Statement and Proposed Land Use Amendment to the California Desert Conservation Area Plan" (EIS/CDQ No. 20210018).
The EPA previously published the notice on January 22, 2021. In response to the Executive Order titled: Regulatory Freeze Pending Review, the BLM requested to withdraw the FEIS from review at that time.
On February 24, 2021 the BLM published in the Federal Register a notice announcing the release Crimson Solar Project Final Environmental Impact Statement and Proposed Land Use Amendment to the California Desert Conservation Area Plan. This notice was in addition to a similar notice published by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on February 12, 2021. Publication of the Federal Register notice by the EPA initiated the 30-day period during which the proposed land use plan amendment may be protested by certain parties. Given the EPA's publication, the protest period closed on March 15, 2021.
Background
Sonoran West Solar Holdings, LLC has requested a right-of-way (ROW) authorization to construct, operate, maintain and decommission the Crimson Solar Project, an up to 350 megawatt photovoltaic facility along with the necessary ancillary facilities including up to eight project substations, access roads, operations and maintenance buildings, and lay-down areas. The Project site consists of approximately 2,500-acres of Bureau of Land Management (BLM)-administered lands within the Riverside East Solar Energy Zone (SEZ) and within the Desert Renewable Energy Conservation Plan (DRECP) Development Focus Area (DFA).
Points of Contact
Miriam Liberatore
Project Manager
Bureau of Land Management
3040 Biddle Road
Please use the links at the left to navigate this site for further information on the Crimson Solar project.
