The U.S. Department of Energy intends to repurpose parts of DOE-owned land for utility-scale clean energy generation projects.
Under the “Cleanup to Clean Energy” initiative, the Department will work with industry, Federal entities, tribes, state and local officials to lease out certain sites – portions of which were previously used in the nation’s nuclear weapons program.
DOE has identified about 70,000 acres for potential development at five sites:
Hanford Site, Richland, Washington
Idaho National Laboratory, Idaho Falls, Idaho
Nevada National Security Site, Nye County, Nevada
Savannah River Site, Aiken, South Carolina
Waste Isolation Pilot Plant, Carlsbad, New Mexico
The initiative stems from an executive order issued by President Joe Biden in December 2021, directing federal agencies to authorize use of their land for the development of new clean electricity generation and storage.
