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.

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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

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- *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, cultur es 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 Agricultu re, 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

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- *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 ef fective upon 4
passage. 5

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