Controversial Oberon solar project off I-10 near Desert Center wins federal approval

A controversial 500-megawatt solar project off Interstate 10 in the Southern California desert has been approved, the Bureau of Land Management announced late Thursday. The Oberon Solar Project can move ahead on approximately 2,600 acres of public lands near Desert Center in eastern Riverside County.

The decision authorizes a right-of-way for a subsidiary of Intersect Power to build and operate the photovoltaic solar facility, which will also include 200 megawatts of battery storage. The project will create 750 union construction jobs and eight permanent jobs, according to the news release. 

The facility is expected to produce enough electricity to power 142,000 homes.

A company spokesman did not immediately respond to a request for comment, but past documents indicate construction could begin as soon as February, with $2.6 billion in funding already obtained for the work and similar renewable projects.

“The Oberon Solar Project is another example of how our public lands are playing a key role in contributing to the nation’s renewable energy portfolio," said BLM Director Tracy Stone-Manning in a statement. "We’re grateful for the collaboration between Tribal governments, local communities, state regulators, industry, and other federal agencies that is shaping responsible development on America’s public lands for the benefit of current and future generations.”

Manning did not mention environmental groups as part of that collaboration. While some support the Oberon project, several environmental organizations filed formal comments protesting it, saying it would destroy rare and scenic desert washes and woodlands that wildlife depends on. The opponents also said if approved, the project might violate a painstakingly negotiated and sweeping desert renewable energy plan. It was not immediately clear if any of the groups would appeal the approval, or if they would have the legal right to do so.

"We are disappointed, and in all honesty, appeal is definitely a possibility," said Kevin Emmerich of Basin and Range Watch. He said he and others were still reading the decision, and if the federal government had used a tactic known as a "full force and effect" decision, then it would mean their appeal rights might have been eliminated.

"I don't know if they've done it, it's just something we've had our suspicions about, because this is 'green' energy and there are a lot of pushes to make it happen fast," he said.

The decision, signed by Laura Daniel-Davis, principal deputy assistant secretary of the interior overseeing land and minerals management, states that "any challenge to these decisions must be brought in federal court."

The project is the third to be approved in the California desert on public land in the past month under the rubric of the Desert Renewable Energy Conservation Plan. The plan,  itself an amendment to an earlier sweeping desert management plan, covers 10.8 million acres of public lands spanning the desert regions of seven California counties. It aims to streamline renewable energy development while conserving other swaths of "unique and valuable desert ecosystems," according to BLM.  

“The Oberon Solar Project underscores the Biden Administration’s commitment to reaching carbon-free electricity by 2035,” BLM California State Director Karen Mouritsen said in the release. “BLM California continues to make numerous contributions to the nation’s renewable energy portfolio, by identifying public lands with significant solar and wind energy potential and significant geothermal energy resources.” 

The Oberon decision and related documents can be found at https://go.usa.gov/xfdH5. 

Janet Wilson is senior environment reporter for The Desert Sun, and co-authors USA Today's Climate Point newsletter. She can be reached at jwilson@gannett.com or @janetwilson66 on Twitter