▁ 2 . 2 % ▁per ▁year . ▁Per - cap ita ▁energy ▁use ▁from ▁ 1 7 3 0 ▁to ▁ 1 8 7 0 ▁was ▁about ▁ ▁per ▁person . ▁In ▁the ▁ 2 0 th ▁century ▁this ▁increased ▁to ▁around ▁ ▁( ▁per ▁person ▁per ▁year ▁in ▁ 1 9 8 1 ). ▁ ▁In ▁ 2 0 0 1 , ▁Vice ▁President ▁Dick ▁Chen ey ▁said ▁the ▁US ▁would ▁need ▁" at ▁least ▁ 1 , 3 0 0 ▁new ▁power ▁plants ▁over ▁the ▁next ▁ 2 0 ▁years ." ▁ ▁E ffic iency ▁improvements ▁could ▁cause ▁energy ▁use ▁to ▁drop ▁consider ably . ▁ ▁A ▁concentr ating ▁solar ▁array ▁( C SP ) ▁with ▁thermal ▁storage ▁has ▁a ▁practical ▁capacity ▁factor ▁of ▁ 3 3 % ▁and ▁could ▁provide ▁power ▁ 2 4 ▁hours ▁a ▁day . ▁Prior ▁to ▁ 2 0 1 2 , ▁in ▁six ▁south western ▁states ▁( A rizona , ▁California , ▁Colorado , ▁Nev ada , ▁New ▁Mexico , ▁and ▁Ut ah ) ▁the ▁US ▁Bureau ▁of ▁Land ▁Management ▁( BL M ) ▁owned ▁nearly ▁ ▁( an ▁area ▁larger ▁than ▁the ▁state ▁of ▁Mont ana ) ▁that ▁was ▁open ▁to ▁propos als ▁for ▁solar ▁power ▁install ations . ▁To ▁stream line ▁consideration ▁of ▁applications , ▁the ▁B LM ▁produced ▁a ▁Program m atic ▁Environment al ▁Imp act ▁Stat ement ▁( PE IS ). ▁By ▁the ▁subsequent ▁Record ▁of ▁Dec ision ▁in ▁October ▁ 2 0 1 2 , ▁the ▁B LM ▁with