Reopening DRECP would stall renewable energy goals in California

Today the Federal Register published a notice of intent by the Bureau of Land Management to reopen the Desert Renewable Energy Conservation Plan (DRECP) for public comment and to “identify issues.”

Kim Delfino, California program director for Defenders of Wildlife, issued this statement:

“It is completely unnecessary to reopen the DRECP plan just after it was completed. The DRECP is a strong science-based plan that was the product of eight years of work, close collaboration with the state of California and local governments and was developed with extensive public outreach and comment.

“At a time when California is moving forward aggressively to meet clean energy goals, this proposal to reopen the DRECP will only result in uncertainty and delay for renewable energy projects in the California Desert. The plan provides hundreds of thousands of acres of public land for projects with an efficient permitting process. This proposal cynically throws sand in the gears in the clean energy engine built by the BLM and California.

“There is no reason to revisit the DRECP.”