美國最大太陽能案「分拆審查」引爭議

美國內政部近日取消原先針對內華達州「Esmeralda 7」太陽能計畫的整體環境影響評估，改為分別對其七個子項目進行個別審查與許可。該計畫總裝置容量達 6.2 吉瓦（GW），預計成為全美規模最大的太陽能開發案。

The U.S. Department of the Interior has canceled its broad environmental review for the 6.2-gigawatt Esmeralda 7 Solar Project in Nevada - set to become the largest solar development in the country - and will instead evaluate each of its seven subprojects individually, according to a Bureau of Land Management (BLM) spokesperson.

根據美國土地管理局（Bureau of Land Management, BLM）網站，該計畫的《國家環境政策法》（NEPA）審查狀態已標示為「取消」。但 BLM 發言人強調，計畫本身並未被取消，而是「在與開發商例行協商後，決定放棄原有的整體環評，改採逐案分析，以更有效評估潛在環境影響。」

Although the BLM’s website lists the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) review as “canceled,” the agency clarified that the project itself remains active. “During routine discussions prior to the lapse in appropriations, the proponents and BLM agreed to change their approach,” the spokesperson said. “Instead of a programmatic-level analysis, developers will now submit individual proposals to allow for more targeted environmental assessments.”

七項目分開審查，開發期恐延長 根據去年 7 月的草案文件，Esmeralda 7 計畫包括七個相連的子項目：Lone Mountain Solar、Nivloc Solar、Smoky Valley Solar、Red Ridge 1 Solar、Red Ridge 2 Solar、Esmeralda Energy Center，以及 Gold Dust Solar，總開發面積約 62,300 英畝，位於內華達州托諾帕（Tonopah）以西約 30 英里處。

Seven Separate Projects, Uncertain Timeline The Esmeralda 7 complex comprises seven contiguous projects - Lone Mountain Solar, Nivloc Solar, Smoky Valley Solar, Red Ridge 1 and 2, Esmeralda Energy Center, and Gold Dust Solar - spanning approximately 62,300 acres of BLM-administered land about 30 miles west of Tonopah, Nevada.

參與開發的企業包括 Invenergy、Avantus 與 NextEra。NextEra 發言人表示：「我們仍致力於推進計畫的完整環境分析，並與 BLM 密切合作。」目前所有子案的用地申請仍在等待批准中。

Developers include Invenergy, Avantus, and NextEra. “We remain committed to pursuing a comprehensive environmental analysis in collaboration with the BLM,” a NextEra spokesperson told The Guardian. All seven projects currently have pending right-of-way applications before the agency.

原先的計畫書預估，各子項目施工期介於 18 至 36 個月，全案完工需約五年。然而，隨著統一環評程序取消，新的個別審查可能使審批進度延後，具體時程尚未明朗。

A 2023 draft environmental impact statement projected construction periods ranging from 18 to 36 months per project, with full buildout within five years. However, with the cancellation of the unified review, timelines for individual approvals remain unclear and could be delayed.

政策轉向引發爭議 再生能源審批陷入不確定性 環境保護基金會（Environmental Defense Fund）批評此舉是「政府對能源許可採取雙重標準的又一例證：污染性化石燃料享有快速通道，而廉價再生能源卻遭遇凍結、延宕與取消」。

Environmental Groups Denounce the Move The Environmental Defense Fund criticized the Interior Department’s decision, calling it “another example of the Trump administration’s two-tiered energy permitting system: concierge treatment for polluting fossil fuels, while renewables face freezes, delays, and cancellations.”

此舉也反映出現任政府對再生能源開發的整體傾向。多項離岸風電案曾因行政命令被迫停工或撤銷許可。官員則辯稱，前任拜登政府的再生能源審批機制「存在缺陷」，而 Esmeralda 7 是其「西部太陽能戰略」中的關鍵一環。

This case aligns with a broader trend under the current administration, which has halted or revoked approvals for several renewable projects on federal land, including offshore wind developments. Officials argue that the permitting system for renewables under the Biden administration was flawed, despite the Esmeralda 7 project being a cornerstone of President Biden’s Western solar plan.

專家指出，分案審查雖可加強地區環境評估的精確度，但也可能使整體規劃失去一致性，導致投資延誤與能源轉型進度放緩。對美國達成淨零目標而言，這一變化恐帶來新的挑戰。

Analysts warn that while individualized reviews may provide more localized environmental scrutiny, they could undermine coordination, delay investment, and slow the pace of the U.S. energy transition - raising fresh concerns about the nation’s path toward its net-zero goals.