Regulators overhaul wind, solar power rules for federal land

Federal regulators made final a rule Thursday overhauling how wind and solar power companies lease public land.  The rule from the Interior Department’s Bureau of Land Management (BLM) creates a competitive bidding process for the first time for renewable energy on federal land for oil, gas and coal companies use.  It also gives incentives for companies to put their wind turbines or solar panels in areas that do not conflict with wildlife, among other changes.  The rule is the first significant overhaul of wind and solar standards for federal land. Renewable energy was practically non-existent on federal land before 2009. The Obama administration sees the Thursday rule as a way to continue the industry’s growth.