CARSON CITY — The Nevada Wilderness Project on Friday issued a statement in support of a new bill introduced by Sen. Harry Reid and Congressman Dean Heller, stating that it offers a unique way for renewable energy developers and habitat conservationists to forge ahead in the fight to slow climate change, create jobs and protect wild lands.

According to the statement, the American Solar Energy Pilot Leasing Act of 2010 would lease public lands for two solar projects, establish a royalty system based on the sale of electricity and use that royalty for on-the-ground conservation projects in Nevada.

“This is an example of ‘smart from the start’ renewable energy development,” said John Wallin, director of the Nevada Wilderness Project. “Sen. Reid and Congressman Heller have introduced a bill that will solve tough environmental problems and be of great economic value for local Nevada communities.”

If passed, the bill will lease two areas in Lincoln County for commercial solar development. They are the 2,845-acre Delamar Valley and 10,945-acre Dry Lake Valley sites. Both are located on Bureau of Land Management (BLM) administered lands within areas that were previously identified as Solar Energy Study Areas by the U.S. Department of the Interior. The BLM would establish a reasonable royalty to be applied to the sale of electricity from the leased sites that would encourage production and generation of solar energy and ensure a fair return to taxpayers. The BLM would have the ability to lower or suspend the royalty for up to five years from the start of production in order to help solar companies get operations up and running and to be cost competitive with fossil fuel energy projects.