Goldman Sachs preventing development of Solar Projects on federal lands

[liberal N proud]

Wall St. firm behind slow solar pace on federal lands?
Goldman Sachs subsidiary bought lots of leases — but hasn't used them

Goldman Sachs
Associated Press

ROACH DRY LAKE, Nev. — Not a light bulb's worth of solar electricity has been produced on the millions of acres of public desert set aside for it. Not one project to build glimmering solar farms has even broken ground.

Instead, five years after federal land managers opened up stretches of the Southwest to developers, vast tracts still sit idle.

An Associated Press examination of U.S. Bureau of Land Management records and interviews with agency officials shows that the BLM operated a first-come, first-served leasing system that quickly overwhelmed its small staff and enabled companies, regardless of solar industry experience, to squat on land without any real plans to develop it.

<snip>

The Bush administration, however, kept BLM's focus on oil. BLM's database of solar applications shows many languished for years while the agency approved more than 73,000 oil and gas leases in the last five years. BLM has yet to give final approval to one solar lease.

BLM's solar leasing system ended up allowing developers to lay claim to prime sites — many located in the deserts that span California, Nevada and Arizona. All developers had to do was fill out an application, pay a fee and file development plans.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/38956835/ns/us_news-environment/

The full article explains Goldman Sachs connection

[txlibdem]

1. 73,000

Should have been 73,000 solar projects approved and 1 oil. Just another example that when Repugs are in power they do the exact opposite of what should happen.