DOI Approves 2nd Utility-Scale Solar Energy Plan on American Indian Trust Land

The U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI) on May seven announced the approval of the 200-megawatt Moapa Solar Energy Center Plan on tribal trust land in Nevada.

The Moapa solar Plan will be the 2nd utility-scale solar Plan approved for development on tribal trust lands, and is one of the many steps the administration has taken to help strengthen tribal communities. The Record of Decision for the Moapa Band of Paiute Indians' Plan approves the construction, operation and maintenance of a photovoltaic solar power generation facility on an 850-acre location on the Moapa River Indian Reservation, which is located about 20 miles northeast of Las Vegas, Nevada. The facility is expected to generate enough power to run approximately 60,000 homes and will support up to 500 jobs at peak construction and ten permanent positions.

The Plan is also the 52nd utility-scale renewable energy Plan that DOI has approved since 2009 as part of a Department-wide effort to advance smart development of renewable energy on our nation's public lands. Together, the wind, solar and geothermal plans could support in excess of 20,000 construction and operations jobs and generate about 14,000 megawatts of power to communities across the West, or enough to power nearly 4.8 million homes.

DOI also announced that 9 federally acknowledged tribes have been awarded Tribal Energy Development Capacity grants totaling in excess of $700,000 apiece. The competitive grants fund plans that help build tribal capacity for energy and mineral resource development, including renewable energy projects. See the Energy Department news release.

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