PALM SPRINGS, Calif. – The Bureau of Land Management today announced the Desert Quartzite Solar facility, located near Blythe in eastern Riverside County, is now fully operational and producing clean energy to power up to 120,000 homes. The 300 megawatt (MW) solar facility also has 150 MW of battery storage, increasing reliability and availability of clean energy on the state grid.
“The Desert Quartzite solar facility will deliver a combined total of 450 MW of renewable energy and battery storage to the southern California grid, marking another significant milestone in the BLM’s commitment to renewable energy development,” said California Desert District Manager Shelly Lynch.
EDF Renewables acquired the Desert Quartzite Solar project in 2022 and modified it for a more efficient layout and increased solar energy generation. Additional information about the project is available at the BLM National NEPA Register.
Since January 2021, BLM has approved 45 renewable energy projects on public lands (11 solar, 14 geothermal, 2 wind, and 18 gen-ties) and exceeded the goal to permit 25 gigawatts of renewable energy by 2025. Overall, BLM has permitted clean energy projects on public lands with a total capacity of more than 33 gigawatts – enough to power more than 15 million homes. This year BLM also issued a final Renewable Energy Rule that will lower consumer energy costs and the cost of developing solar and wind projects, improve project application processes, create jobs, and incentivize developers to continue responsibly developing solar and wind projects on public lands.
