On the recordJune 10, 2010
today I rise to introduce the American Solar Energy Pilot Leasing Act of 2010. Solar energy development is a critical factor in creating jobs and making the United States energy independent. This legislation will provide a pilot program for the Department of the Interior to develop a solar leasing program in Nevada. The Secretary of the Interior, though the Bureau of Land Management, BLM, is currently developing a west wide solar energy program based on existing laws and regulations. The BLM, however, does not currently have the legal authority to lease public lands for solar development. This bill will establish, in Lincoln County, the first Federal solar leasing program in the U.S., which will serve as a pilot project for the Department of the Interior in order to guide development of solar leasing throughout the west in the years to come. The American Solar Energy Pilot Leasing Act designates two solar development zones in Lincoln County for commercial solar energy development.
