This is an excerpt from EERE Network News, a weekly electronic newsletter.
February 21, 2003
Report Finds High Potential for Renewable Power Throughout the West
A new report examining the potential for renewable energy development on public lands finds that all 11 western states have areas with a high potential for power production from one or more renewable energy sources. The report, released February 21st by DOE's National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) and the U.S. Department of the Interior, studies resources on Bureau of Land Management, Forest Service, and tribal lands. Titled "Assessing the Potential for Renewable Energy on Public Lands," the report was prepared in support of the President's National Energy Policy, which included efforts to increase domestic energy security by encouraging energy production on public lands.
The report examines wind, solar, biomass, and geothermal energy resources, applying suitable screening criteria such as the distance to transmission lines and roads. It found areas in seven western states that hold a potential for power production from three or more renewable energy resources, plus 35 sites in six western states that hold a high potential for near-term development of geothermal power resources. See the NREL press release or go directly to the full report.
