August 21, 2026
BLM Issues Final Analysis for Copper Rays Project in Pahrump Valley
LAS VEGAS — The Bureau of Land Management has issued the final environmental impact statement and resource management plan amendment for the proposed 700-megawatt (MW) alternating current solar photovoltaic power generating facility and 700 MW of battery energy storage system on approximately 4,414 acres of BLM-managed public land in Nye County. If approved, the applicant could develop an energy facility with integrated battery storage and interconnection to the regional electric transmission system.
This notice opens a 30-day protest period which will close September 21, 2026. Additional information is available at the BLM National NEPA Register. Protest instructions are available at the BLM Filing a Plan Protest website (https://www.blm.gov/programs/planning-and-nepa/public-participation/filing-a-plan-protest).
For more information, please contact BLM Project Manager Jessica Headen at 702-515-5000 or [email protected].
September 20, 2024
BLM seeks input on proposed Copper Rays Solar Project in Nevada
The Bureau of Land Management has opened a 90-day comment period on the Copper Rays Solar Project, a proposed 700 megawatt (MW) photovoltaic solar project with 700 MW of battery storage on about 4,414 acres of BLM land in Nye County, Nevada.
“Public input is critical as we continue to evaluate the proposed project,” said Pahrump Field Manager Nicholas Pay. “The most useful comments concern the resource analysis, specifically the identified environmental effects from the proposed action and alternatives, and potential measures that could be taken to reduce or eliminate those effects.”
The Copper Rays Solar Project would be in the Pahrump Valley, immediately adjacent to the Clark County line, southeast of the town of Pahrump, and approximately 40 miles west of Las Vegas.
The 90-day comment period on the Draft Resource Management Plan Amendment and Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) opened today and will close December 19, 2024.
BLM intends to host one virtual and one in-person public meeting. See the meeting details below:
· Pahrump, Nev. on October 22, 2024, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Pacific Daylight Time PDT at the Pahrump Nugget Hotel and Casino, 681 NV-160, Pahrump, Nev., 89048.
· Virtual meeting on October 24, 2024, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. (PDT).
October 24, 2024 Virtual Draft EIS Meeting Recording: https://youtu.be/yHXxPm_e_rA
As of September 2024, the Biden-Harris administration has approved 41 renewable energy projects on public lands (10 solar, 13 geothermal, and 18 gen-ties) and exceeded the goal to permit 25 gigawatts of renewable energy by 2025. In total, the BLM has now permitted clean energy projects on public lands with a total capacity of approximately 29 gigawatts of power – enough to power over 12 million homes. This year, the BLM also issued a final Renewable Energy Rule that will lower consumer energy costs and the cost of developing solar and wind projects, improve project application processes, and incentivize developers to continue responsibly developing solar and wind projects on public lands.
Interested parties may mail written comments to the BLM Pahrump Field Office, Attn: Copper Rays Solar Project, 4701 N. Torrey Pines Drive, Las Vegas, Nev. 89130 or email comments to [email protected]. Comments may also be submitted starting on Friday September 20, 2024 by using the green “Participate Now” function on the left side of this webpage.
BLM is utilizing the NEPA process to comply with the requirements of Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act. BLM has incorporated the Section 106 process into the draft EIS, and we encourage consulting parties and the public to review and comment on the process.
For more information, please contact Jessica Headen, Project Manager, at 702-515-5206 or email [email protected].
August 17, 2023
The Scoping Summary Report is now available. Please visit the "Documents" link on the left to view the report.
PROJECT PUBLIC SCOPING PERIOD OPEN AS OF NOVEMBER 14, 2022
UPDATE (as of Friday, December 2, 2022): The BLM Southern Nevada District Office has extended the scoping period for the Copper Rays Solar Project Environmental Impact Statement and Resource Management Plan Amendment. The scoping period will be extended to January 13, 2023, an additional 15-days from the previously scheduled end date of December 29, 2022. Additional information on the scoping period extension can be found in the published BLM News Release at the following link: https://www.blm.gov/press-release/blm-extends-public-scoping-period-copper-rays-solar-project-environmental-impact.
The Bureau of Land Management Pahrump Field Office is seeking public comments on the proposed Copper Rays Solar Project in Nye County, Nevada. The scoping comment period opened November 14, 2022.
The BLM held two scoping meetings (virtually) for the Copper Rays Solar Project on December 6 and December 7, 2022 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Pacific Time. Scoping Meeting Question & Answer Reports for both dates are available on the Documents page.
To review the virtual scoping meetings, please select the links below:
December 6, 2022 Virtual Scoping Meeting recording: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bdPVO_HFJOk
December 7, 2022 Virtual Scoping Meeting recording: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LGcTLYzj-YQ
The BLM has published a Notice of Intent in the Federal Register, announcing that the BLM Pahrump Field Office will prepare a project Environmental Impact Statement for the Copper Rays Solar Project. The Pahrump Field Office will also prepare a Proposed Resource Management Plan Amendment, due to change in Visual Resource Management Class rating and modification of two utility corridors, to the 1998 Las Vegas Resource Management Plan.
Publication of the NOI initiates the NEPA scoping process and opens a public comment period. The public comment period will close on January 13, 2023. Comments may be provided verbally at the virtual scoping meetings, or written comments can be provided by any of the below methods:
· Mailed to: BLM Pahrump Field Office
Attn: Copper Rays Solar Project
4701 N. Torrey Pines Drive
Las Vegas, NV, 89130
· Emailed: [email protected].
· ePlanning: Utilize the “Participate Now” function on the left side of this website
Please note: Before including your address, phone number, email address, or other personal identifying information in your comment, you should be aware that your entire comment – including your personal identifying information – may be made publicly available at any time. While you can ask us in your comment to withhold your personal identifying information from public review, we cannot guarantee that we will be able to do so.
Comments that were received by the BLM during the solar application evaluation process review of this project will be considered during the development of the Environmental Impact Statement.
For more information, please contact Whitney Wirthlin at 725-249-3318 or via email at [email protected].
