INTERIOR PICKS SOLAR SWEET SPOTS

U.S. Interior Dept designates solar energy zones
Ayesha Rascoe (w/Christian Wiessner), June 29, 2009 (Reuters)

"Hoping to speed up the development of renewable energy resources on federal lands, the U.S. Interior Department…designated about 670,000 acres of land as potential areas for solar energy production…

"The land is divided into 24 solar energy zones spread across six western states and could generate nearly 100,000 megawatts of solar electricity. The department will evaluate the possible environmental impacts of solar production in these areas as well as their energy resources…"

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"U.S. President Barack Obama has made moving the United States away from reliance on fossil fuels a key priority of his administration. Obama has pledged to double renewable energy production in three years and supports setting a national renewable power mandate.

"The Interior Department created a special task force in March to identify the specific areas on public lands where the government could act rapidly to create large-scale renewable energy production."

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"The department's Bureau of Land Management has received about 470 renewable energy project applications, including 158 active solar applications.

"Solar Energy Industries Association President Rhone Resch welcomed the department's announcement…"