The Bureau of Land Management has proposed setting aside more than 4,000 acres for renewable energy projects.
The announcement comes on the heels of an Arizona visit by Interior Secretary Deb Haaland to a solar battery storage site.
The BLM will set aside land for two proposed solar energy projects, one west of Maricopa, the other about 75 miles east of Yuma.
The land segregation is the first step before the agency begins its environmental review process.
That step can be important, because although a solar grid will be an important tool in combating climate change, the infrastructure can be harmful to birds and disrupt migration corridors.
