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GLOBAL RENEWABLES ONLINE - FEBRUARY / MARCH 2012
SOLAR INDUSTRY SUBMITS
COMMENTS ON DRAFT RULES FOR
SOLAR DEVELOPMENT ON PUBLIC
LANDS
WASHINGTON - The Solar
Energy Industries Association
(SEIA) and the Large-scale Solar
Association (LSA) submitted
comments on the Supplemental
Draft Programmatic Environ-
mental Impact Statement for
solar energy development in
Southwestern states. The draft
PEIS was issued by the Bureau
of Land Management in the U.S.
Department of the Interior.
“In his State of the Union
Address, President Obama laid
out an agenda that calls for
signif icant
development
of
renewable energy on public
lands,” said Rhone Resch, presi-
dent and CEO of SEIA. “The solar
industry is up to the task. But
project developers need clear
rules of the road that balance
the need for f lexibility to build
solar power plants outside of
designated Solar Energy Zones
with responsible stewardship of
public lands, resources and
wildlife. These are not mutually
exclusive objectives and we look
forward to continuing work with
stakeholders.”
The comments submitted Jan.
27 include a number of key
principles critical to development
of utility-scale solar power plants
on public lands:
Flexibility for solar power
plants to be responsibly devel-
oped outside of designated Solar
Energy Zones;
Near-term identif ication of new
Solar Energy Zones suitable for
project development;
Coordination of transmission
build out in areas where solar
energy development is occurring;
and
Continued allotting the re-
sources and staff necessary for
BLM staff to eff iciently process
pending project permit applica-
tions.
“The U.S. Southwest is home
to some of the best solar
resources in the world. President
Obama has recognized this
enormous potential to enhance
our energy security by settings a
goal to permit 10 gigawatts of
additional renewable energy
projects on public lands by the
end of this year. But as they say,
‘ the devil is in the details,’ and it
is absolutely critical that we get
the PEIS right,” Resch added.
ABOUT SEIA:
Established in 1974, the Solar
Energy Industries Association is
the national trade association of
the U.S. solar energy industry.
Through advocacy and educa-
tion, SEIA is working to build a
strong solar industry to power
America. As the voice of the
industry, SEIA works with its
1,100 member companies to
make solar a mainstream and
signif icant energy source by
expanding markets, removing
market barriers strengthening
the industry and educating the
public on the benef its of solar
energy.
CONCENTRATED SOLAR POWER A
KEY TECHNOLOGY FOR
SUSTAINABLE POWER GENERATION
IN AFRICA
Johannesburg, February 7,
2012
The average daily solar radia-
tion in most African countries
makes Concentrated Solar Power
(CSP) one of the most attractive
renewable energy solutions to
ensure a secure supply of clean
electricity to power economic and
infrastructure growth on the
continent. For example, DNI (Di-
rect Normal Irradiance) values of
up to 2900 kWh/m2a are not
unusual in some areas in South
Africa. Until 2020, the market
for solar thermal power plants
will show annual double-digit
growth rates and attain a volume
of over EUR20 billion, with two
of the primary focal growth
regions being South Africa and
North Africa.
The enormous potential for
solar power in South Africa and
the rest of the continent is one of
the reasons why Siemens is
participating in the CSP Today
South Africa 2012, the 1st
Concentrated Solar Thermal
Powers Conference and Expo
taking place on the 7th and 8th
of February at the Hilton Hotel
in Sandton, Johannesburg.
As a company, Siemens
believes CSP is a key technology
of the 21st century and is one
world’s leading solar power
technology suppliers. “We are
SOLAR NEWS