AJR12 - Declares support of the Legislature for certain principles of solar energy development in this State. (BDR R-388)

A.J.R. 12 - *AJR12* ASSEMBLY JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 12– COMMITTEE ON NATURAL RESOURCES (ON BEHALF OF THE JOINT INTERIM STANDING COMMITTEE ON NATURAL RESOURCES) MARCH 13, 2025 ____________ Referred to Committee on Legislative Operations and Elections SUMMARY—Declares support of the Legislature for certain principles of solar energy development in this State. (BDR R-388) FISCAL NOTE: Effect on Local Government: No. Effect on the State: No. ~ EXPLANATION – Matter in bolded italics is new; matter between brackets [omitted material] is material to be omitted. ASSEMBLY JOINT RESOLUTION—Declaring the support of the Legislature for certain principles of solar energy development in this State. WHEREAS, The United States of America continues to make 1 strides to transition the nation to clean energy in order to lower 2 energy costs for consumers and address climate change; and 3 WHEREAS, The development of solar energy is an integral part 4 of such transition; and 5 WHEREAS, Solar power generation in this country is forecasted 6 to grow 75 percent from 2023 to 2025 alone; and 7 WHEREAS, The demand for solar energy development on public 8 lands is booming; and 9 WHEREAS, The United States Bureau of Land Management has 10 put forth a proposed roadmap for solar energy development on 11 public lands across the West in the Final Utility-Scale Solar Energy 12 Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement and Proposed 13 Resource Management Plan Amendments, also referred to as the 14 proposed updated Western Solar Plan; and 15 – 2 – - *AJR12* WHEREAS, The proposed updated Western Solar Plan will make 1 over 31 million acres of public lands across 11 western states 2 available for potential solar energy development; and 3 WHEREAS, The Federal Government owns over 56 million acres 4 of land in the State of Nevada, which is more than 80 percent of the 5 land in the State; and 6 WHEREAS, The United States Bureau of Land Management 7 manages over 47 million acres of public lands in the State of 8 Nevada; and 9 WHEREAS, Nearly one-fifth of Nevada’s public lands could be 10 open to solar energy development under the proposed updated 11 Western Solar Plan; and 12 WHEREAS, Development of solar energy on public lands 13 impacts natural resources, customs, cultures and local economies 14 and these natural resources, customs, cultures and local economies 15 should be considered when determining the public lands on which 16 solar development should be concentrated; and 17 WHEREAS, Development of solar energy on public lands in 18 Nevada should be done in a manner that positively contributes to the 19 economy and overall quality of life in this State, now, therefore, be 20 it 21 RESOLVED BY THE ASSEMBLY AND SENATE OF THE STATE OF 22 NEVADA, JOINTLY, That the members of the 83rd Session of the 23 Nevada Legislature hereby urge the Federal Government to support 24 and recognize the following principles for the development of solar 25 energy on public lands in the State of Nevada: 26 1. Solar energy development should be concentrated on 27 previously disturbed public lands, such as lands having heavy 28 anthropogenic disturbance or lands on which there is higher 29 amounts of invasive annuals with no pathway back to a non- 30 invasive plant community; and 31 2. Solar energy development should be sited on public lands 32 identified through consultation and coordination with relevant local 33 and state governmental agencies as being appropriate for such 34 development; and be it further 35 RESOLVED, That the Chief Clerk of the Assembly prepare and 36 transmit a copy of this resolution to the President of the United 37 States, the Vice President of the United States as presiding officer of 38 the United States Senate, the Speaker of the House of 39 Representatives, the United States Secretary of the Interior, the 40 United States Secretary of Agriculture, the Director of the United 41 States Bureau of Land Management, the Chief of the United States 42 Forest Service, the Director of the United States National Park 43 Service, the Commissioner of the United States Bureau of 44 Reclamation, the Director of the United States Fish and Wildlife 45 – 3 – - *AJR12* Service, the Secretary of Defense of the United States Department 1 of Defense, each member of the Nevada Congressional Delegation 2 and the Governor of the State of Nevada; and be it further 3 RESOLVED, That this resolution becomes effective upon 4 passage. 5 H