Department of Interior Announces Plan to Turn 670,000 Acres into 24 Solar Energy Zones

In an effort to jumpstart alternative energy production in the United States, the Department of the Interior recently announced about 670,000 acres of land as potential areas for solar energy production. The move toward energy efficiency has made desert and wind swept lands much more desirable to developers and the government alike. However, some see the lands being selected as controversial, as they may be ecologically sensitive.

The land that has been announced covers six western states and has been broken up into 24 solar energy zones. These lands hold the potential to produce up to 100,000 megawatts of solar electricity. The recent announcement was made after the search began in March to find lands that would be able to handle the rapid development of alternative energy sources. And the lands that have been placed in this category are still being tested to see if they can handle the environmental impacts of large solar arrays. -greenandsave