A plan that will manage conservation and renewable energy in nearly one-quarter of California has been unveiled by the federal government.
The Desert Renewable Energy and Conservation Plan covers 22 million acres, including much of the inland valleys and deserts in Southern California, according to multiple reports.
U.S. Interior Secretary Sally Jewell spoke of the 8,000-page document, which is still in draft form, during a news conference Tuesday in Palm Springs.
The plan, which has been in the works for five years, is designed to promote clean energy production on the state and federal level. It provides for solar, wind and geothermal development throughout the region, according to the reports.
Some environmental groups have already criticized the plan for allowing development in environmentally sensitive areas, the reports stated.