The quality of life that Americans enjoy today depends largely upon a stable and abundant supply of affordable energy.
The BLM, which manages more Federal land than any other agency, plays a key role in ensuring that our country’s needs are met by managing both Federal renewable and non-renewable energy sources in an environmentally sound manner.
Because of the Federal energy mix, the BLM’s role in implementing the Energy Policy Act of 2005 is critical. The Act aims to secure America’s energy future by promoting dependable, affordable, and environmentally sound energy production while reducing U.S. dependence on foreign oil.
Interest in eastern Nevada’s energy potential is on the rise, partly because of the Southwest Inter-tie Project, or SWIP, which has been identified by the Western Regional Corridor Study as a major transmission corridor. The SWIP corridor spans the entire length of the BLM Ely District, a distance of 300-plus miles. The corridor also extends from Ely eastward to Delta, in Utah.
BLM Ely District-managed energy projects range from power plants, Right-Of-Ways management on public lands, transmission and pipelines to the harnessing of wind energy.