The U.S. federal government has decided to officially cancel the development of the Esmeralda Seven Solar Project, an initiative that planned to generate up to 6.2 gigawatts of solar energy on public lands in Esmeralda County, Nevada.
Reasons for the closure of the Solar Esmeralda Seven project
The Bureau of Land Management(BLM) notified on October 9, 2025 that the project has been filed under the NEPA(National Environmental Policy Act) process, ending a proposal involving changes to the Tonopah Resource Management Plan. The revision sought to modify the visual landscape management classification and allow solar buildings on land with slopes greater than 5%.
The Esmeralda Seven development contemplated developing solar infrastructure over an area of 62,300 acres, within a larger analysis area of 118,600 acres. As of 2023, the
The cancellation directly affects federal plans to expand renewable energy on public lands in the western part of the country. The proposed amendment would have also modified restrictions in the programmatic solar EIS, which limits the use of land with certain topographic features.
Despite its size, the project encountered questions related to its visual and environmental impact, as well as doubts about its compatibility with the existing land use plan. While the full technical details behind the cancellation have not been disclosed, the decision represents a relevant precedent for future renewable energy projects in areas managed by the BLM.
Source and photo: BLM
