In late summer of 2016, Interior Secretary Sally Jewell approved a plan that sets aside 10.8 million acres of public land for conservation and renewable energy. The overall strategy, known as the Desert Renewable Energy and Conservation Plan (DRECP), has emerged from more than eight years of discussion and focuses on the protection of natural resources, cultural heritage, and outdoor recreation.
Under DRECP, 9.2 million acres of federally-owned land comes under protection as National Conservation Lands and Areas of Critical Environmental Concern. Such classifications make this land unavailable to renewable energy developers, though 800,000 acres do remain available for development.
The program identifies Development Focus Areas covering approximately 388,000 acres, where permit acquisition will be streamlined. The selection of these areas takes into account the potential impact of energy development and steers such facilities away from crucial habitats and artifacts belonging to the land's first peoples. Further discussion will continue to incorporate non-federal lands across seven area counties.