There are about two months left in the public comment period on the draft of the Desert Renewable Energy Conservation plan released by regulators in December, according to The Desert Sun. As the article explains, the goal of the DRECP is to balance renewable energy development with the protection of environmental and cultural resources in the California Mojave and Colorado/Sonoran desert region.

A number of stakeholders, including government agencies, renewable energy companies, environmental groups and Native American tribes collaborated on the document over the course of five years. The DRECP divides the desert into zones, some of which allow renewable energy development and others that are reserved for conservation. Under the DRECP, more federal land in Riverside and Imperial counties will be open for solar development, and more land in Imperial County, including around the Salton Sea, will be available for geothermal development. The public comment period on the draft DRECP will run until Feb. 23.

The draft DRECP may be found here.

Two informational webinars are being held on Dec. 15 and Dec. 17 related to the draft of the DRECP plan.