The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is inviting public review and comments on the draft environmental impact statement and resource management plan amendment for the proposed Esmeralda 7 Solar Project in Esmeralda County. If approved, the seven adjacent solar photovoltaic projects would produce up to 6.2 GW of clean electricity, sufficient to power around 1.6 million homes, according to the EPA Calculator.
The BLM evaluated the environmental effects of these projects collectively within a 118,000-acre area in Big Smoky Valley near Tonopah. The statement covers proposed management changes and the implementation of design features affecting air, biological, hydrologic, and visual resources, as well as cultural and Native American concerns, socioeconomics, and environmental justice.