Why Are the Agencies completing a Programmatic EIS?
The PEIS is being prepared to meet the requirements established by Congress in the Energy Policy Act of 2005 and to meet the requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969. A Programmatic EIS evaluates the environmental impacts of broad agency actions, such as the development of programs or the setting of national policies. Development of specific agency-wide solar energy programs and additional related policy will involve the proposed amendment of land use plans and would establish environmental policies and mitigation strategies to be considered in making decisions on whether to fund projects or guarantee loans for the deployment of solar energy projects on BLM-administered lands or other Federal, State, tribal, or private lands. The BLM would establish its own environmental policies and mitigation strategies to use when making decisions on whether to issue rights-of-way for utility-scale solar energy development projects on public lands administered by the BLM. Theref
