The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has given final approval to a new solar energy project on public land in California. The Crimson Solar Project is an investment of approximately $ 550 million.
The record of the decision authorizes Sonoran West to build a 350 MW solar photovoltaic system with a 350 MW energy storage system and the necessary additional support equipment to generate and deliver electricity through Southern California's Edison Colorado River Substation.
“BLM California is proud to support the responsible development of renewable energy projects as part of our mission to sustainably manage public spaces,” said Karen Mouritsen, State Director of BLM California. “The Crimson Solar project demonstrates the agency's commitment to meeting California's energy and economic needs with 21st century technology.”
The solar project will be a photovoltaic system owned by Sonoran West Solar Holdings LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Recurrent Energy LLC. The facility will occupy up to 2,000 acres of BLM managed land in Riverside County, California.
Although the project application precedes the Desert Renewable Energy Conservation Plan (DRECP), the Crimson Solar Project is in one of the areas designated by the DRECP as development priorities, which are referred to as development priorities. During the DRECP process, the BLM, the State of California, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service worked for several years with renewable energy developers, the conservation community, tribes, local governments, and others to identify areas in need of renewable development Energies are appropriate and areas that should be preserved.
In addition to the substantial financial investment in the region, the project will provide an estimated 650 temporary construction jobs, 10 permanent jobs and 40 temporary operations and maintenance jobs over the 30 year term of the project.