A wind farm is roughly 5,500 times less efficient in producing energy than a nuclear plant on a per-acre basis, the Department of the Interior said.
Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum signed an order on Aug. 1 to rein in “environmentally damaging” wind and solar power projects and ensure that federal lands are used optimally for energy initiatives.
The Department of the Interior (DOI) is legally required to ensure land use decisions are “judicious,” the agency said in an Aug. 1 statement. This requirement raises the question of whether allocating federal lands for wind and solar projects is permissible given their high land requirement and the blockage of other land uses, the agency said.
“One advanced nuclear plant … produces 33.17 megawatts (MW) per acre, while one offshore wind farm produces approximately 0.006 MW/acre, which is approximately 5,500 times less efficient than one nuclear plant,” DOI said.
Because there are alternatives that can generate the same or higher amount of energy by using less federal land, power projects based on solar or wind power “may unnecessarily and unduly degrade federal lands,” the agency said.
DOI said unreliable energy projects such as wind and solar are inefficient uses of land compared to coal, gas, and nuclear.
As such, the department said it will consider an energy project’s capacity density when judging how it benefits the country and affects the environment and wildlife.
Capacity density calculates how efficiently the land is used for producing energy, according to Burgum’s order. Higher capacity density translates into higher energy generation with lower impact on federal lands. This will ensure more land is available for other purposes.
As such, the DOI “shall only permit those energy projects that are the most appropriate land use when compared to a reasonable range of project alternatives,” the order said.
It also asked the department to identify and make necessary changes to any regulation, policy, or practice to implement the order. Within 30 days, officials are required to submit a report listing the actions taken to implement the order.
“Gargantuan, unreliable, intermittent energy projects hold America back from achieving U.S. Energy Dominance while weighing heavily on the American taxpayer and environment,” Burgum said.
“By considering energy generation optimization, the Department will be able to better manage our federal lands, minimize environmental impact, and maximize energy development to further President Donald Trump’s energy goals. This commonsense order ensures our nation is stronger, our land use is optimized, and the American people are properly informed.”
On July 29, the agency said it was implementing four policy measures to end special treatment for wind projects, including considering terminating the designation of 3.5 million acres for wind power.
