The first solar energy projects were sanctioned under a fast-track program that envisions enough power for 8 million homes, the U.S. Interior Department said.

U.S. Interior Secretary Sally Jewell announced the first three solar energy projects were approved according to the terms of the so-called Western Solar Plan. Once built, the three projects on public lands in Nevada will generate as much as 440 megawatts of energy, enough to meet the annual demands of about 132,000 homes.

"Through thoughtful planning and upfront public participation, these solar projects demonstrate we can reduce permitting times, create certainty for energy developers, and achieve better outcomes for communities and the environment," Jewell said in a statement.

The plan, steered by the department's Bureau of Land Management, focuses on building solar installations on a fast-track basis in areas with a high energy potential and low conflict in terms of land use and environmental issues.

BLM under the terms of the program requires a "robust set of mitigation measures" meant to avoid or compensate for the potential adverse impacts of proposed solar energy development. Mitigation strategies extend to wildlife monitoring, salvage and relocation.

Jewell last year signed off on a 250-megawatt solar project dubbed Silver State South to be situated on 2,400 acres of public land in Primm, Nev.

The Silver State South project design was modified to prevent soil erosion and runoff. Its developer, First Solar, also agreed to provide $3.6 million to protect the desert tortoise, whose habitat was degraded by solar project developments. The revisions diminished the Silver State South's full capacity by 100 MW.

BLM has designated 19 zones suitable for solar energy development under the Western Solar Plan. Once fully developed, the projects will combine for 27 gigawatts of solar power, enough to meet the annual demands of about 8 million homes.