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Staff tightens solar and wind potentials after BLM Western Solar Plan and new NREL wind data
Summary
CPUC staff updated resource-potential estimates and land‑use screening: the BLM 2024 Western Solar Plan reduces some solar-eligible federal lands; staff adjusted solar-area discounting and raised the minimum capacity-factor threshold for in‑state wind to 30%.
CPUC staff presented land‑use and resource‑potential updates in the 2025 draft INA, reflecting the 2024 Bureau of Land Management Western Solar Plan and new NREL onshore wind capacity-factor rasters.
On utility-scale solar, staff compared the CEC core land-use screens with the BLM Western Solar Plan. The BLM plan excludes areas for conservation and restricts development to areas within 15 miles of existing or planned transmission. Staff said these exclusions disproportionately reduce available land in southern California and in some out‑of‑state regions. To account for the BLM restrictions, staff proposed revised accounting: retain…
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