President Trump signed legislation this week transferring federal land to La Paz County, which may be used for energy projects.
On Monday, Trump signed the La Paz County Solar Energy and Jobs Creation Act, designating 3,400 acres of federal land to La Paz County in western Arizona for “fair market value.”
The legislation was sponsored by Republican Congressman Paul Gosar and had bipartisan support.
It’s part of an effort Gosar has been pushing for years: to use land for solar energy generation and energy storage projects under local control.
This land allocation is specifically for the “Atlas Solar Project” Gosar has been advocating for for more than five years.
In 2020, Gosar helped secure 5,900 acres in La Paz County for the same project. That allocation came out of a large 2019 bill, which Trump also signed.
Projects on federal land are subject to lengthy processes, including environmental reviews.
“I’m grateful to President Trump for signing my bill into law. This is exactly how Washington should work — delivering practical solutions that directly benefit the people we represent,” Gosar said in a statement.
Gosar has gotten the most bills passed of all Arizona’s congressmen and senators. This week’s action got his ninth bill signed in 14 years.
-
Looking to shore up its water supply as Colorado River cuts loom, Cave Creek is finalizing a water agreement with Peoria. -
The Chandler City Council is currently weighing whether or not to end its contract with the surveillance technology company, Flock Safety. Until then, 40 cameras with automated license plate readers remain in operation across the city. -
Arizona’s 211 crisis hotline will no longer have live operators starting in August. The new state budget provides no funding for the service. -
Arizona Rep. Yassamin Ansari is the only Iranian-American Democrat in Congress. Her parents, like many from Iran, immigrated here to escape the regime after the Revolution in 1979. -
In Arizona, the Republican-controlled Corporation Commission this spring repealed the state’s renewable energy standard. But David Jenkins says the GOP should pay more attention to the natural environment.
