The Department of the Interior has completed the Western Solar Plan, which now encompasses the state of Wyoming.

2025-03-27 08:24:49 By Robert Davis

On December 20, 2024, the Department of the Interior (DOI) unveiled a revised Western Solar Plan aimed at facilitating efficient and eco-friendly solar energy permitting on public lands across the western United States. 

The initiatives of the Department of the Interior (DOI) pertaining to clean energy on public lands are managed by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM). As of 2021, the BLM has successfully authorized 45 renewable energy projects on these lands, exceeding its target of permitting 25 gigawatts of renewable energy by the year 2025.

As per the DOI, the revised strategy intends to direct the siting of solar energy initiatives in regions with minimal resource conflicts. It aims to bolster the development of the nation’s expanding clean energy sector, lower energy expenses for consumers, generate high-quality job opportunities, tackle the climate emergency, and promote priorities related to clean air and environmental justice. 

This initiative is in line with the broader objective of attaining a fully clean electricity grid by the year 2035. 

According to the DOI, “The revised Western Solar Plan recognizes that there are more than 31 million acres of public land available across 11 western states for utility-scale solar project proposals. Nevertheless, it is estimated that only about 700,000 acres will likely be utilized by 2045 to satisfy the expected demand.”

The initial Western Solar Plan encompassed six states in the southwestern region: Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, and Utah.

Following the update, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Washington, and Wyoming have now been included.

The approval of the revised Western Solar Plan comes after the release of a draft plan in January 2024 and a proposed plan in August 2024. 

It incorporates feedback gathered from a wide range of stakeholders, including governments and various interested entities, throughout the entire process. 

The suggested plan went through a 30-day public objection phase and a 60-day consistency evaluation by the governor before the BLM made the decision to approve it.

Assistance with planning

This initiative builds upon numerous executive actions implemented by the Biden-Harris administration aimed at streamlining and enhancing federal permitting processes to expedite the delivery of projects.

According to the press release from the DOI, "The initiative aims to facilitate solar project development by pinpointing areas close to transmission lines and previously disturbed sites as suitable for project proposals, while deliberately excluding sensitive locations such as specially protected lands, areas with significant cultural resources, and crucial wildlife habitats."

It also highlights that this will promote responsible development, accelerate the permitting process, and offer enhanced predictability for the solar energy sector.

"In the Biden-Harris administration, the Department of the Interior (DOI) has acted decisively to respond to current challenges and foster a thriving, sustainable clean energy economy, all while safeguarding vital resources on America’s public lands. According to DOI Secretary Deb Haaland's press release, the newly revised Western Solar Plan, developed with significant public feedback, will promote the responsible expansion of solar energy throughout the West for years ahead."

Dr. Steve Feldgus, the Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Land and Minerals Management, emphasizes, “Solar energy stands out as a cost-effective and rapidly expanding element of our nation's contemporary power infrastructure, contributing significantly to the establishment of a robust and resilient clean energy economy in the U.S. The revised Western Solar Plan aims to streamline the permitting process for solar projects, providing greater clarity for developers while retaining the necessary flexibility to address local needs and issues.”

In total, the Bureau of Land Management has authorized clean energy initiatives on public lands, boasting a combined capacity exceeding 33 gigawatts, which is sufficient to supply energy for more than 15 million households. 

In 2024, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) released a definitive Renewable Energy Rule aimed at reducing energy expenses for consumers and decreasing the costs associated with the development of solar and wind initiatives. This rule also streamlines project application procedures, generates employment opportunities, and encourages developers to pursue the responsible advancement of solar and wind projects on public lands. 

Resistance to the proposal

Toward the end of last year, U.S. Representative Harriet Hageman (R-WY) voiced her concerns regarding the proposal, saying, “This initiative will have a detrimental effect on Wyoming, where half of our surface lands are under federal management. It restricts extensive areas for the placement of solar panels that are not environmentally friendly, which hampers our capacity to graze livestock, mine resources, or extract fossil fuels – essential activities for America to lower the expenses of energy, food, and housing.”

In September 2024, Western Caucus Chairman Dan Newhouse (R-WA) and Representative Hageman, along with nine other members of the Western Caucus, sent a letter to the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) urging the agency to retract its proposed revisions to the Western Solar Plan.

“The Western Solar Plan put forth by the Biden-Harris administration is yet another initiative that could harm communities throughout the West,” Newhouse asserts. “This proposal may infringe upon the multiple-use mandate for public lands as outlined by the Federal Land Policy and Management Act, jeopardizing essential grazing areas while also raising concerns.” 

U.S. Representative Matt Rosendale (R-MT) has stated that the agency's proposal will restrict 572,479 acres of public land in Montana for solar energy projects, leading to numerous issues for local wildlife, the environment, and the livelihoods of Montanans.

He expresses his worries by stating, “I believe that the Western Solar Plan infringes upon the Taylor Grazing Act, which governs grazing activities on public lands. Additionally, it will generate intermittent energy that will require transmission over hundreds, and in some instances, thousands of miles before it can be utilized.”

Lawmakers from various Western states have raised alarms regarding the Bureau of Land Management's solar development proposals. This group includes U.S. Senators John Barrasso and Cynthia Lummis from Wyoming, Jim Risch and Mike Crapo from Idaho, Steve Daines from Montana, and Mike Lee from Utah. They are concerned that the plan could interfere with grazing rights, mineral extraction, and recreational activities.

Furthermore, Frank Macchiarola, Chief Policy Officer of American Clean Power, expressed in a statement, “It is disappointing that the BLM did not establish a more equitable strategy for development and conservation. Throughout this process, the solar industry has repeatedly voiced concerns regarding the consequences of land exclusions and project design elements, which this decision fails to address in any meaningful way.”

He adds, “This ultimate choice signifies a lost chance to enhance the U.S. economy and bolster our energy security and reliability by facilitating the timely approval of current and upcoming projects.”

Melissa Anderson is the editor of the Wyoming Livestock Roundup. Send comments on this article to [email protected].

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The Exciting Mathematics of 2025 (Featuring Two Demonstrations of a Classic Greek Theorem)

Say goodbye to the tetrahedron and welcome the generalized enneadecagon! Welcome to 2025! A lovely year, filled with excellent things. Obviously, we’re not talking about the state of the planet – that’s pretty terrible, all things considered. But the math? That is delectable. The spatial design of 2025 One of the most straightforward observations about the upcoming year is that 2025 is a perfect square. Specifically, it can be expressed as 45 multiplied by 45, indicating that if we were to create a large square with each side measuring 45 units, the overall area would amount to 2025 square units.  View pictures in App save up to 80% data. Feel free to verify the numbers for yourself if you're skeptical. Image credit: ©IFLScience That’s not all, though: because it’s an odd square, it’s also a centered octagonal number – which, much like with square numbers, is precisely what it sounds like: it means we can draw a perfect octagon using exactly 2025 pieces. Let's delve into something even more intricate: 2025 is classified as an enneadecagonal number (for those who aren't familiar with geometric terminology, that's a shape with 19 sides). However, there's a catch – it happens to be a negative enneadecagonal number, specifically the -15th one, which makes it quite impossible to visualize.  We are confident in its accuracy because every enneadecagonal number can be expressed using the following formula: Nm = m(17m - 15)/2 and plopping m = -15 into this recipe gives us 2025. The titles of 2025 Along with square, octagonal, and enneadecagonal, 2025 has a few pretty names. It’s a powerful number: an integer m such that if p|m, then p2|m. The reason for that is fairly simple – it’s 452, which is equal to (32)2×52 – or in other words, every prime factor of it turns up at least twice. It’s classified as a refactorable number, or tau number, indicating that it can be divided by the total count of its divisors. For instance, consider the number 18: it has six divisors, which are 1, 2, 3, 6, 9, and 18, and it can be evenly divided by six. In the same vein, the number 2025 possesses 15 divisors, with one of them being 15. To enumerate them all, the complete list of divisors for 2025 includes 1, 3, 5, 9, 15, 25, 27, 45, 75, 81, 135, 225, 405, 675, and 2025. Theorems from the year 2025 Let’s get onto the good stuff, shall we? We’ve already seen that 2025 is a perfect square, but dig a little deeper and we see some even prettier patterns. Forty-five, the number’s square root, is also a triangular number, and that means we can write it as a sum of consecutive numbers. Like this: 45 = 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 5 + 6 + 7 + 8 + 9. This indicates that  2025 = (1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 5 + 6 + 7 + 8 + 9)2,  which is nice for sure, but that’s not all. Thanks to Nicomachus, an ancient Greek follower of Pythagoras who lived between around 60 CE and 120 CE, we know that numbers that can be written like this – the squares of triangular numbers – also have another interesting property: they can be rewritten as the sum of the cubes of those same numbers. In other words, because  2025 = (1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 5 + 6 + 7 + 8 + 9)2, we are also aware that  2025 = 13 + 23 + 33 + 43 + 53 + 63 + 73 + 83 + 93. Isn't that awesome?! There are several methods to demonstrate this – one of the most elegant is through this proof that doesn't require any words: View pictures in App save up to 80% data. Pretty cool, right? Photo credit: Cmglee, CC BY-SA 3.0, sourced from Wikimedia Commons. An alternative approach involves utilizing the characteristics of square and cube numbers directly. In reality, it is this method that earns old Nicomachus his recognition, rather than the mere observation of the theorem. His namesake result takes a step back and, in a technical sense, states the following: ∀n∈N>0 : n3 = (n2 − n+1) + (n2 − n+3) + … + (n2 + n−1). That might look… well, like it’s written in another language, and it sort of is, but really it just means that any number n cubed can be written as the sum of n consecutive odd numbers beginning at (n2 − n+1). Like this:  1 等于 1 8 can be expressed as the sum of 3 and 5. 27 can be expressed as the sum of 7, 9, and 11. 64 can be expressed as the sum of the numbers 13, 15, 17, and 19. 125 = 21 + 23 + 25 + 27 + 29 and so forth. Now, written out like that, you can probably see a nice pattern already, right? If you sum up the first k cubed numbers, you’re going to get 13 + 23 + 33 + … + k3 = 1 + 3 + 5 + 7 + 9 + 11 + … + (k2 − k+1) + (k2 − k+3) + … + (k2 + k−1). Now, let's examine square numbers. They exhibit a similar pattern and can be expressed in the following manner: 1 等于 1 4 可以表示为 1 加 3。 9 = 1 + 2 + 6 16 can be expressed as the sum of the first four odd numbers: 1 + 3 + 5 + 7. 25 = 1 + 3 + 5 + 7 + 9 and so on – that is, the square of n is equal to the sum of the first n odd numbers.  But guess what? That sum we found before is precisely that – it’s the sum of the first (k2 + k)/2 odd numbers! In other words, 1 + 3 + 5 + 7 + 9 + 11 + … + (k2 − k+1) + (k2 − k+3) + … + (k2 + k−1) = ((k2 + k)/2)2. So there’s just one thing left to prove, and that’s that (k2 + k)/2 is equal to the sum of the first k natural numbers. Luckily, that’s pretty easy – it’s the definition of a triangular number (or, if you prefer, you can do it visually:  View pictures in App save up to 80% data. The shaded area representing the triangular number is equal to half of the area of the n x (n+1) rectangle. Image credit: ©IFLScience However you prove it, though, the math doesn’t lie: the sum of (n cubes) equals the (sum of n) squared. And now is as good a time as any to rave about this nice little result, since 2025 proves it perfectly. Happy New Year!

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Blue Origin's New Glenn rocket is capable of reaching orbital speeds that are 23 times faster than the speed of sound.

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During a hike in the Swiss Alps, he stumbled upon an unusual 20th-century wagon embedded in a receding glacier.

View pictures in App save up to 80% data. Andrew Mayovskyy - stock.adobe.com - for illustrative purposes only. In the Swiss Alps, the retreat of glaciers is revealing items that have been trapped in ice for hundreds of years. To date, archaeologists have unearthed artifacts from World War I, arrows dating back 1,300 years, and the preserved bodies of hikers who went missing long ago. In November of last year, a hiker named Sergio Veri stumbled upon what seemed to be a two-wheeled bamboo cart from the 20th century. However, archaeologists are still uncertain about its true nature. While strolling through the Splügen Pass in the Swiss Alps, close to the Switzerland-Italy border, Veri stumbled upon a peculiar device. The elevated route links Switzerland's Hinterrhein valley to Italy's Valle San Giacomo. He spotted the cart amidst the thawing Schwarzhorn Glacier. According to a social media update from the Canton of Graubünden, “The wagon-style design, featuring two wheels and crafted from bamboo sticks and laces, is estimated to be fairly recent, likely dating back to the 20th century.” The mysterious object has left specialists puzzled. Abandoned in the heights of the Alps, it is constructed from bamboo and secured with cords, a detail that stands out. However, bamboo is not indigenous to Switzerland and only made its way to Europe in the 17th and 18th centuries. Incorporating this material introduces an intriguing element that obscures the purpose and background of the object. The presence of bamboo suggests that the artisans had access to foreign resources. The Archaeological Service of Graubünden has yet to carry out a comprehensive investigation of the cart. They are reaching out to the community for assistance, inviting anyone who possesses knowledge regarding the object's function or how it was made to get in touch with them directly. Since that time, social media users have been buzzing with theories about the purpose of the bamboo structure. Some have proposed that it might have served as a cart for smuggling goods during World War I, while others believe it could be an early climbing apparatus utilized by adventurers or researchers, or perhaps even a component of a 20th-century aircraft. View pictures in App save up to 80% data. Andrew Mayovskyy – stock.adobe.com – for illustrative purposes only Several commenters concurred on the wagon's utility, suggesting that it likely facilitated the movement of supplies. "Given that the wheels appear unsuitable for supporting a heavy load for an extended period, I suggest that it was an early form of a winch designed to help transport supplies uphill," one individual noted. "It's a type of pull cart, designed for a person or mule to walk ahead of it, constructed from bamboo to ensure it's lightweight for navigating mountain trails and rough landscapes," added another. The Splügen Pass boasts a rich historical background that is important to consider. During the Roman period, it functioned as a significant trade route, as evidenced by historical sources such as the Roman Tabula Peutingeriana. With glaciers around the globe melting at an accelerating pace, it's anyone's guess what discoveries archaeologists might unearth next. More About:News

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Experts indicate the age at which you're most inclined to form lasting friendships.

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How to observe the rare comet that will be visible from Earth this month

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Elon Unleashes Cybertrucks, Combines Forces from SpaceX and Tesla for Humanitarian Mission in LA/Malibu

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Lemurs Face Extinction Threat, Even with Their Remarkable Genetic Diversity

View pictures in App save up to 80% data. Sergiy - stock.adobe.com - for illustrative purposes only The development of lemurs is regarded as distinctive since they underwent evolution in complete seclusion on the island of Madagascar millions of years ago. The island boasted a variety of ecosystems, featuring lush tropical forests in the eastern region and arid, dry landscapes in the southwestern part. This resulted in a variety of lemur species, from tiny mouse-sized creatures to massive sloth-like varieties. The lemurs we are familiar with today are small, have large eyes, and inhabit trees. Over 100 species inhabit Madagascar, showcasing significant genetic diversity among them. However, a staggering 90 percent face the threat of extinction. A group of researchers from Spain aimed to uncover the reasons behind the critical endangerment of numerous lemur species, even though they exhibit significant genetic diversity. To achieve this, they analyzed the genomes of 162 lemurs representing 50 distinct species found throughout Madagascar. Their research uncovered the ways in which ecological elements, changes in climate, and recent human actions have influenced the genetic diversity of lemurs throughout history. "According to Joseph Orkin, the lead researcher of the study, 'As climate changes intermittently linked previously isolated environments, lemurs from various species and groups began to interbreed, exchanging genetic material that enhanced their overall diversity.'" "Additionally, it seems that the species with the greatest diversity are those that have fragmented populations spread throughout various ecosystems on the island. This trend of isolation followed by reconnection appears to be enhancing and redistributing genetic diversity across the entire island." Recent human actions have significantly contributed to the decline of lemur populations. Evidence indicates that factors such as deforestation, the growth of human populations, and changes in hunting methods are closely linked to the onset of dramatic decreases in lemur numbers. View pictures in App save up to 80% data. Sergiy – stock.adobe.com – for illustrative purposes only The exact timeline of the first human arrival in Madagascar remains unclear, but it is believed that their population started to increase around a millennium ago. By the 1700s, the island had undergone considerable transformations in its environment. “Upon examining the genetic data related to population decreases, we consistently identified two notable inflection points occurring approximately 1,000 and 300 years ago. It was quite remarkable to observe such a distinct correlation between the periods of human population growth and the reduction in lemur populations,” Orkin remarked. These results may play a vital role in influencing future conservation strategies. The reduction of habitats and deforestation pose significant risks to lemurs by decreasing their population numbers and disrupting the natural links between habitats that facilitated gene flow. In the absence of varied genetic exchanges, the likelihood of inbreeding increases, thereby heightening the risks for species that are already at a disadvantage. Madagascar is just one of many regions worldwide experiencing a decline in biodiversity. The growing human population is driving this issue on a global scale. By increasing our understanding of how human actions impact biodiversity, we can discover more effective ways to safeguard it. The details of the study were published in the journal Nature Ecology & Evolution. More About:Animals

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The meme "Will Smith enjoying a plate of spaghetti" marks the inaugural AI benchmark meme.

Perhaps the sole one? View pictures in App save up to 80% data. AI video generators have made significant strides in their brief history, and an unexpected benchmark that many of us use to gauge this advancement has—due to various reasons—manifested as videos of Will Smith enjoying spaghetti. As one user pointed out on flight simulation forum AVSIM in late September 2024, these videos have become an AI benchmark. The difference in quality between the original AI-generated Will Smith eating spaghetti video—which went viral after it was posted to the r/stablediffusion subreddit by u/chaindrop in March 2023—and subsequent iterations—is stark. The AI improved significantly in movement, detail, and realism. About a year apart between these “Will Smith Eating Spaghetti” videos. Wild progress and can’t believe this became the AI-generated video Turing Test. pic.twitter.com/65UONEXhzg— Bearly AI (@bearlyai) January 5, 2025 So significantly that nearly a year after the initial nightmarish iteration went viral on X.com, the actor shared a parody video of himself pretending to be an AI-generated rendering eating spaghetti—and people were unsure of what was real, and what was AI. Which is arguably when it crossed over from viral video to meme. View pictures in App save up to 80% data. View pictures in App save up to 80% data. View pictures in App save up to 80% data. View pictures in App save up to 80% data. The reason behind Will Smith eating spaghetti becoming the unofficial standard for AI video generation remains a mystery. From a technical standpoint, it's quite a challenging task. AI generators have consistently struggled with accurately depicting food (which frequently appears distorted), hands (which seldom show the right number of fingers), and the intricacies of the eating process as a whole. Additionally, the abundance of noodles adds another layer of complexity for the AI to manage. But culturally speaking, as with any meme, the why doesn’t so much matter. It is as much a method of communication as it is an inside joke. Much like the Utah Teapot of the late ’70s and ’80s—a famous 3D model and computer graphics benchmark that was kind of a pre-meme meme—Will Smith eating spaghetti videos have become a cultural reference that breaches the gap between tech and pop culture. It has become an AI litmus test for the layman, a way for the culture at large to participate and track developments in the latest big tech wave. 2023 AI Will Smith eating spaghetti was comically gruesome. 2024 AI Will Smith eating spaghetti is plausible. 2025 AI Will Smith eating spaghetti might not be recognizable as AI at all (the actor’s real-life parody of the spaghetti-eating videos is undoubtedly hastening this certainty, providing generators with more exact data to replicate). At which point AI benchmarks will become more difficult to articulate and define, and memes will continue to feel more niche as the social internet grows increasingly fragmented. Tutto passa.

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Amendment 93: The deadline for the A.14 Integrated Water Field Campaign Proposal has been postponed to February 12, 2025.

View pictures in App save up to 80% data. A.14 Integrated Water Field Campaign is intended to identify and characterize novel physical processes and interactions that can be measured by and benefit from observations of water surface elevations over land, ocean, and land-ocean boundaries from SWOT, as well information from ocean salinity data and other relevant ocean products. ROSES-2024 Amendment 93 delays the proposal due date for A.14 Integrated Water Field Campaign to February 12, 2025. On or about January 10, 2024, this Amendment to the NASA Research Announcement "Research Opportunities in Space and Earth Sciences (ROSES) 2024" (NNH24ZDA001N) will be posted on the NASA research opportunity homepage at https://solicitation.nasaprs.com/ROSES2024 Questions concerning A.14 Integrated Water Field Campaign may be directed to Nadya Vinogradova Shiffer at [email protected]. Continue Discovering Explore Additional Subjects from NASA

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