Colorado site of solar power plan - St. Louis Business Journal:

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The goal is to speed projecty permittingfor utility-scale solar power projects, an announcemenf from the Interior department said. The initiatives were announced in Las Vegazson Monday. Under one 24 tracts of BLM land in sixWesternm states, known as Sola Energy Study Areas, will be evaluated for their environmental and resource suitability for large-scale solar energy The areas cover 670,000 acrez in Colorado, Nevada, Arizona, California, New Mexici and Utah. In Colorado, the threr areas in the San Luis Valley that will be part of the studgy could generate upto 4,182 megawatts of solar power if fullt developed, according to the department.
Area deemed suitable for large solar power projects wouldd be available for companies to build installations with a capacity of 10 megawatts or Companies proposing projects in thesr areas would be eligible for fastedpermit processing, the department said. The 24 tracts of land in the Solaer Energy Study Areas will be looked at as part of anexistinbg solar-power environmental impact study the departmenft is conducting in six Westerj states. The in-depth environmental review of the 24 tractsd is being paid for with money from the Americam Reinvestment andRecovery Act, the announcemenr said.
The department’s has receivefd 158 applications for solar power projects on federal lands in the including one application fora Colorado-based solar power plant capable of generating up to 150 megawatta of power from the sun, the department