D.E. Shaw Renewable Investments (DESRI) hired Barr to provide environmental planning and permitting services for Foxtail Flats and Four Mile Mesa—two co-located solar-generation and battery-storage projects in the high desert near Farmington, New Mexico. The combined projects, which will generate 270 MW of photovoltaic solar power and store 180 MW of energy, encompass approximately 4,000 acres of tribal, state, and private lands.
Barr conducted natural resources investigations, compiled resource baseline reports, and drafted the project’s plan of development and environmental assessment (EA) in accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act. The EA was tiered to the Bureau of Land Management’s 2024 Western Solar Plan.
As part of preparing the plan of development, we also compiled plans for decommissioning, reclamation and weed management, health and safety, and management of hazardous materials and waste. Our project team coordinated with the Ute Mountain Ute tribe, the Bureau of Indian Affairs, the New Mexico State Lands Office, and the local county planning department.
Field studies included evaluations of aquatic resources and surveys for raptors and migratory birds; wildlife; vegetation; federally listed, sensitive, and invasive species; and cultural resources.
Early in the project planning process, Barr prepared a Phase I environmental site assessment, a permit matrix, and a critical-issues analysis. We also developed applications for geotechnical investigation permits, obtained documentation of project Clean Water Act compliance, conducted public outreach, and performed environmental compliance monitoring during project construction.
The first phase of the project—170 MW of solar generation and 80 MW of battery storage—is now under construction and slated to come online in 2027.
