A massive solar facility in western Arizona is anticipated to power hundreds of thousands of homes as well as provide hundreds of jobs in the area.

At the Yavapai County Courthouse on Friday, Secretary of the Interior David L. Bernhardt was joined by Congressman Paul Gosar (R-AZ), La Paz County Supervisor Holly Irwin, Bureau of Land Management Arizona State Director Ray Suazo, and other public and private representatives to announce the conveyance of around 5,900 acres of public lands to La Paz County in western Arizona.

The county has executed an agreement with 174 Power Global to build a massive solar facility on 4,000 acres of the land, potentially producing up to 850 Megawatts of power, which would be the largest solar project in the nation, according to a release.

“President Trump’s enactment of the Dingell Act represents the single largest public lands package in a decade.” Mr. Bernhardt stated. “Senator McSally and Congressman Gosar played critical roles in its passage and ensured provisions vital to Arizona were incorporated for the benefit of the local community and economy.”

On March 12, 2019, President Donald J. Trump signed into law S. 47, the John D. Dingell Jr. Conservation, Management, and Recreation Act in an Oval Office signing ceremony surrounded by a bipartisan group of lawmakers. The legislation was made up of more than 100 individual bills that were introduced by 50 Senators and several House members. Specifically, in the Senate, Ms. McSally introduced bipartisan legislation in the form of  S. 54, the La Paz County Land Conveyance Act of 2019. In the House of Representatives, Mr. Gosar introduced companion, bipartisan legislation in the form of H.R. 304.

“I led the Senate effort last year to pass legislation to make this happen and continued to engage with the BLM to ensure the conveyance process was executed as expeditiously as possible,” stated Ms. McSally (R-AZ). “It is great to see La Paz County will be able to move forward with plans to increase solar energy production. I applaud the hard work of the County Supervisors, the BLM and all the stakeholders involved in this innovative economic development effort.”

Mr. Gozar (AZ-04) says the land exchange will bring new economic energy to the area in terms of jobs, construction and community growth.

"During these troubling times, it is these types of projects that will help bring us out of this economic downturn and give a brighter future to La Paz and all of Arizona," he stated. "I was happy to work with Secretary Bernhardt to make this a reality for my constituents.”

The Department of the Interior had advocated for or worked with Members of Congress on many of the individual provisions that made up the package, including the requirement for the BLM to convey around 5,900 acres of lands to La Paz County with the intent of using the land for economic development and renewable electricity generation opportunities, the release states. Ultimately, La Paz County expects 800 to 1,000 construction jobs will be needed for the project with the facility possibly being able to generate enough electricity to power over 300,000 homes.

Mr. Suazo signed and issued the patent granting La Paz County ownership of land.

"The BLM fully supports this conveyance and what it means for the future of La Paz County,” he stated. “It will allow the county to grow and undertake new economic and recreational opportunities that will benefit the entire state."

Following the passage of the Dingell Act, Secretary Bernhardt issued Secretary’s Order 3374 Implementation of Public Law 116-9, the John D. Dingell, Jr. Conservation, Management, and Recreation Act. A task force at the Department was created to ensure all timelines laid out in the bipartisan public lands bill were met, and the Department continues to tick through these requirements on schedule for the American people, the release states.

“Our vision is to attract new renewable solar development to this strategic location to diversify our local economy and create high paying jobs,” Ms. Irwin stated. “Less than 6% of the land within La Paz County is in private ownership. We are grateful to Representative Gosar, Senators McSally and Sinema, Secretary Bernhardt and Director Suazo for working with us to get this done. This land conveyance will increase the tax base, so our rural County can adequately meet the growing needs of our most vulnerable citizens."

Under the Dingell Act, the BLM must exclude any portions containing significant cultural, environmental, wildlife, or recreational resources. The La Paz County Land Conveyance ensures tribal cultural artifacts are protected by including several provisions to avoid disturbance, according to the release. The BLM documented its analysis of potentially significant resources in an environmental assessment released December 13, 2019. No significant resources requiring exclusion were found, and the Decision Record was signed on December 30, 2019, clearing the way to convey the lands.

“The Colorado River Indian Tribes is proud to support this project and appreciates the partnership with La Paz County as it engages in meaningful economic development, while still protecting our sacred history tied to the region,” stated Chairman Dennis Patch of the Colorado River Indian Tribes. “Now more than ever, Western Arizona needs sustainable jobs, so it is my hope that we can work with the BLM to replicate this process and add additional land to our reservation and the County for even more economic development opportunities.”

The Dingell Act includes multiple other provisions impacting public lands nationally – including land actions across the West, the permanent authorization of the Land and Water Conservation Fund, Every Kid Outdoors Program, and improvements to public land access.