[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 242 (Tuesday, December 21, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Pages 72272-72273]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-27515]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[223.LLHQ350000.L13400000.PQ0000]


Call for Nominations or Expressions of Interest for Solar Leasing 
Areas on Public Lands in the States of Colorado, New Mexico, and Nevada

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of call for nominations and expressions of interest.

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SUMMARY: The Bureau of Land Management (BLM), State Offices in 
Colorado, New Mexico, and Nevada are soliciting written expressions of 
interest (EOIs) or Nominations identifying tracts of land (parcels) for 
solar project development within the following solar energy zones 
(SEZs) on public lands: Antonito Southeast SEZ, DeTilla Gulch SEZ, and 
Los Mogotes East SEZ within Colorado; Dry Lake Valley North SEZ, Gold 
Point SEZ, and Millers SEZ within Nevada; and Afton SEZ within New 
Mexico. These SEZs have a combined total land size of approximately 
89,589 acres.

DATES: The BLM will accept written expressions of interest or 
nominations through January 20, 2022.

ADDRESSES: Hard-copy submission of written EOIs or Nominations must be 
submitted to the appropriate soliciting BLM office address listed as 
follows:
    For solicitations by BLM Colorado, hard-copy submission of EOI or 
Nomination may be mailed to: BLM Colorado State Office, Attention: 
Benjamin Gruber, 2850 Youngfield St., Lakewood, CO 80215. EOIs for BLM 
Colorado solicitations may be emailed to: [email protected].
    For solicitations by BLM Nevada, hard-copy submission of EOI or 
Nomination may be mailed to: BLM Nevada State Office, Attention: Greg 
Helseth, 1340 Financial Blvd., Reno, NV 89502. EOIs for BLM Nevada 
solicitations may be emailed to: [email protected].
    For solicitations by BLM New Mexico, hard-copy submission of EOI or 
Nomination may be mailed to: BLM New Mexico State Office, Attention: 
Sarah Naranjo, 301 Dinosaur Trail, Santa Fe, NM 87508. EOIs for BLM New 
Mexico solicitations may be emailed to: [email protected].

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For more information related to 
solicitations in this notice by BLM Colorado, please contact Benjamin 
Gruber, at (303) 239-3923 or [email protected]; solicitations by BLM 
Nevada, please contact Greg Helseth, at (775) 861-6477 or 
[email protected]; and solicitations by BLM New Mexico, please contact 
Sarah Naranjo, at (505) 954-2200 or [email protected]. People who use a 
telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD) may call the Federal Relay 
Service (FRS) at 1-800-877-8339 to contact the above individuals during 
normal business hours. The FRS is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a 
week, to leave a message or question. You will receive a reply during 
normal business hours.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The SEZs being solicited for EOIs or 
Nominations are listed by name and legally described under the BLM 
State Office with jurisdiction over those public lands. To be 
acceptable, an EOI or Nomination must be received (not postmarked) by 
the BLM State Office of jurisdiction by the specified date in this 
notice (see DATES) and must include and conform to all requirements 
under Federal regulations at 43 CFR 2809.11. The BLM will not consider 
EOIs or Nominations that are incomplete or that do not conform to 
regulatory requirements. The BLM may reject submissions for cause.

BLM Colorado Solicitation

Antonito Southeast SEZ

    The developable area includes 9,712 acres, more or less.

See legal description for the entire SEZ in Public Land Order (PLO) 
7818, 78 FR 40501
Federal URL: https://www.federalregister.gov/d/2013-16215/p-262

De Tilla Gulch SEZ

    The developable area includes 1,064 acres, more or less.

See legal description for the entire SEZ in Public Land Order (PLO) 
7818, 78 FR 40501
https://www.federalregister.gov/d/2013-16215/p-294

Los Mogotes East SEZ

    The developable area includes 2,650 acres, more or less.

See legal description for the entire SEZ in Public Land Order (PLO) 
7818, 78 FR 40501
https://www.federalregister.gov/d/2013-16215/p-287

BLM Nevada Solicitations

Dry Lake Valley North SEZ

    The developable area includes 25,069 acres, more or less.

See legal description for the entire SEZ in Public Land Order (PLO) 
7818, 78 FR 40502
https://www.federalregister.gov/d/2013-16215/p-344

Gold Point SEZ

    The developable area includes 4,596 acres, more or less.

See legal description for the entire SEZ in Public Land Order (PLO) 
7818, 78 FR 40502
https://www.federalregister.gov/d/2013-16215/p-381

Millers SEZ

    The developable area includes 16,534 acres, more or less.

See legal description for the entire SEZ in Public Land Order (PLO) 
7818, 78 FR 40502
https://www.federalregister.gov/d/2013-16215/p-400

BLM New Mexico Solicitation

Afton SEZ

    The developable area includes 29,964 acres, more or less.

See legal description for the entire SEZ in Public Land Order (PLO) 
7818, 78 FR 40502
https://www.federalregister.gov/d/2013-16215/p-431

    The 2012 Western Solar Plan amended BLM resource management plans 
(RMPs) to designate SEZs on public land determined to be suitable for 
utility-scale solar energy development, including the Antonito 
Southeast SEZ, DeTilla Gulch SEZ, and Los Mogotes East SEZ in the San 
Luis Valley Public Lands Center RMP (CO); the Dry Lake Valley North SEZ 
in the Ely RMP (NV); the Gold Point SEZ and the Millers SEZ in the 
Tonopah RMP (NV); and the Afton SEZ in the Mimbres RMP (NM).
    The 2012 Western Solar Plan is available on the BLM website at: 
https://blmsolar.anl.gov/documents/docs/peis/Solar_PEIS_ROD.pdf.
    Additional information for each SEZs listed in this notice is 
available on the

[[Page 72273]]

BLM website at: https://blmsolar.anl.gov/sez/.
    The BLM will evaluate EOIs and Nominations as provided for in 43 
CFR 2809.11 after January 20, 2022. If the BLM receives multiple EOIs 
or Nominations that overlap or otherwise compete with one another, the 
BLM may hold a competitive leasing process through a notice of 
competitive offer in accordance with 43 CFR 2809.13. If no competing 
EOIs or Nominations are received in a given SEZ, the BLM will presume a 
future notice of competitive offer, under 43 CFR 2809.13, would receive 
no bids. As such, if no acceptable EOIs or Nominations for a SEZ are 
received, and if the authorized officer determines that doing so is in 
the public interest, the BLM may accept and process non-competitive 
solar development applications within the areas described in this 
notice, as provided in 43 CFR 2800 subparts 2803, 2804, and 2805.

(Authority: 43 CFR 2809)

Nicholas Douglas,
Assistant Director of Energy, Minerals, and Realty Management.
[FR Doc. 2021-27515 Filed 12-20-21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-84-P