MORENO VALLEY, Calif. – (RealEstateRama) — The Bureau of Land Management, Palm Springs-South Coast Field Office, will host two public meetings on Sept. 26 and 27, for the proposed Desert Quartzite Solar Photovoltaic Project, in eastern Riverside County.
First Solar Development is proposing to construct a 450 megawatt solar photovoltaic facility, battery storage, and approximately 3-mile single circuit 230 kilovolt generation interconnection transmission line in eastern Riverside County on approximately 3,800 acres of BLM-managed public lands, near the City of Blythe.
If approved, the project would create approximately 870 jobs during its peak construction period and 10 permanent operational jobs. It could also potentially contribute $72 million annually during its peak construction and $3 million annually during operations. The total project investment amounts to approximately $1 billion and would power to approximately 117,000 homes.
The meetings will provide the public with an opportunity to learn more about the project, ask questions about the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) analysis and decision process, discuss concerns and provide comments before the end of the 90-day public comment period on Nov. 8.
The public meetings will take place:
- Wednesday, Sept. 26, from 4 to 6 p.m. at the UCR Palm Desert Center, Room B200, 75080 Frank Sinatra Dr., Palm Desert, CA 92211,
- Thursday, Sept. 27, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m., at the Blythe City Council Chamber/MPR, 235 N. Broadway, Chamber/MPR, Blythe, CA 92225.
A Draft Environmental Impact Statement, Environmental Impact Report (EIS/EIR) and Draft Land Use Plan Amendment was released for public comment. The BLM is the lead Federal agency for the NEPA review and Riverside County is the lead agency for the California Environmental Quality Act review.
The public is encouraged to provide written comments via mail Desert Quartzite Solar Project, Bureau of Land Management Palm Springs South Coast Field Office, 1201 Bird Center Drive, Palm Springs, CA 92234, or by email to ">
The public is reminded that before including personal address, phone number, email addresses, or other personal identifying information in submitted comments to be aware that the entire comment, including personal identifying information, may be made publicly available at any time. The public may request the BLM withhold personal identifying information from public review, however, the BLM cannot guarantee that it will be able to do so.
The Draft EIS/EIR and Draft Land Use Plan Amendment, along with the agency Preferred Alternative for the Desert Quartzite Solar Project, can be viewed at: https://goo.gl/GmkJk4.
For further information, contact Brandon G. Anderson, BLM project manager, 760-833-7140, or ">
The BLM manages more than 245 million acres of public land located primarily in 12 Western states, including Alaska. The BLM also administers 700 million acres of sub-surface mineral estate throughout the nation. The agency’s mission is to sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of America’s public lands for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations. Diverse activities authorized on these lands generated $96 billion in sales of goods and services throughout the American economy in fiscal year 2017. These activities supported more than 468,000 jobs.
