Full Title: Land of Opportunity: Potential for Renewable Energy on Federal Lands
Author(s): Trieu Mai, Anthony Lopez, Melinda Marquis, Michael Gleason, Anne Hamilton, Whitney Trainor-Guitton, Jonathan Ho, and Shashwat Sharma
Publisher(s): National Renewable Energy Laboratory
Publication Date: January 22, 2025
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Description (excerpt):
Renewable energy (RE) in the United States has historically been deployed primarily on private lands, with only 3% of currently operating utility photovoltaic (UPV), land-based wind, and geothermal generating capacity located on federal lands. This contrasts with fossil fuel production, where about 12% of all oil produced in the contiguous United States occurs on federal lands and 11% for natural gas. The growing interest in RE development, generally across the country and specifically on federal lands, raises questions about the potential for RE on federal lands. This study seeks to answer two primary research questions on this topic:
1. What is the renewable energy technical potential on federal lands in the contiguous United States?
2. How much renewable energy capacity is projected to be developed on federal lands under decarbonization scenarios for the United States?