PLSS converter for renewable energy professionals
Solar and wind projects on federal land start with a PLSS legal description. Every BLM right-of-way application, transmission corridor, and project boundary is defined by sections, townships, and ranges. Convert them to GPS coordinates, one description or hundreds at once.
PLSS in renewable energy development
Many utility-scale solar and wind projects in the West sit on or next to land managed by the Bureau of Land Management. The BLM identifies every parcel in its system using PLSS legal descriptions: township, range, section, and the applicable principal meridian. Before a developer can submit a BLM SF-299 right-of-way application, every section in the project footprint must be listed with its correct PLSS description.
A large solar facility in Nevada might cover 20 sections across three townships. A wind farm in Wyoming might list 40 sections on its ROW grant. Each description needs to be verified against BLM survey data and converted to GPS coordinates for NEPA analysis, interconnection studies, and survey crew deployment. Doing that manually (pulling plat maps, reading section coordinates, transferring them into GIS) takes hours per project phase.
Township America converts PLSS descriptions to GPS coordinates using official BLM CadNSDI source data. The REST API, a separate subscription, brings the same conversion into permitting workflows and GIS pipelines, so your team spends time on the project, not on coordinate lookup.
How renewable energy teams use Township America
Project developer filing a BLM right-of-way application
A utility-scale solar developer is filing an SF-299 application for a project in the Pahrump Valley, on BLM land the Western Solar Plan marks as available for solar. The proposed footprint covers Sections 5, 6, 7, and 8 of T22S R55E, Mount Diablo Meridian, in Clark County, Nevada: about 2,560 acres. The project manager lists the 64 quarter-quarter sections in the footprint in a CSV, runs a batch conversion on Business, and exports the polygons as a Shapefile for the project boundary map filed with the application.
Transmission engineer routing a new line
A transmission developer is routing a 138kV collector line from a wind farm in Carbon County, Wyoming to an existing substation. The proposed corridor crosses 18 sections, each described in ROW documents using 6th Principal Meridian notation, for example, T21N R87W Sec 6 SE¼ through T20N R86W Sec 1 SW¼, 6th Principal Meridian, Wyoming. The engineer converts each entry point description to GPS, exports a KML centerline on Business, and shares it with the licensed survey team who will stake the corridor and identify surface owners requiring easements.
Environmental consultant building a NEPA study area
An environmental consultant is defining the study area for an Environmental Impact Statement for a 400 MW solar facility in Arizona, described under the Gila and Salt River Meridian. The study area extends 1 mile beyond the project boundary across 60 additional sections. The consultant sends all 84 PLSS descriptions to the Township America batch API in a single request (the limit is 100) and gets back GeoJSON polygons that load directly into the GIS project for species habitat analysis, visual impact modeling, and cultural resource survey planning.
Field lead checking turbine locations
A survey crew is mobilizing to stake turbine foundations for a wind project in Converse County, Wyoming. The site plan places one turbine in the NW¼ SE¼ Sec 9 T35N R73W, 6th Principal Meridian, Wyoming. Before the licensed crew stakes the design coordinates, the field lead opens the Township America mobile app (included with every paid plan) to confirm which quarter-quarter section the turbine falls in and to get directions to it.
Land agent processing Colorado State Land Board leases
The Colorado State Land Board administers over 2.8 million acres of state trust land, much of it on the eastern plains and in the San Luis Valley, prime terrain for utility-scale solar. State lease applications reference PLSS sections under the 6th Principal Meridian on the eastern plains and the New Mexico Principal Meridian in the San Luis Valley. A land agent assembling a solar project proposal converts the candidate sections to GPS coordinates, overlays them against the Colorado State Land Board GIS viewer, and confirms section boundaries before submitting the right-of-entry application. The same PLSS descriptions flow directly into the lease agreement when the project is approved.
Built for federal land projects
Batch conversion
BusinessUpload a CSV with every section in a project area and get GPS coordinates for each PLSS description in one pass, ready for GIS import or field crew handoff. Business includes 2,500 records/month per organization.
API access
Bring PLSS conversion into permitting workflows, land databases, and GIS pipelines with the REST API, a separate subscription from the web plans.
GeoJSON and KML export
BusinessExport converted sections as GeoJSON for ArcGIS or QGIS, KML for Google Earth, or Shapefile. All exports, CSV included, are on Business; Pro includes PDF.
All 37 principal meridians
Project portfolios span states with different meridians. Township America detects the correct meridian for each description.
Key states for renewable energy projects
Most large-scale solar and wind development on federal land happens in the interior West. Township America covers every PLSS state in that corridor and handles the different principal meridians for you, so descriptions from Nevada's Mount Diablo Meridian, Arizona's Gila and Salt River Meridian, and the 6th Principal Meridian in Colorado and Wyoming all convert without manual configuration.
Nevada converter
Mount Diablo MeridianWyoming converter
6th Principal MeridianColorado converter
6th Principal Meridian; New Mexico Principal Meridian in the San Luis ValleyArizona converter
Gila and Salt River MeridianNew Mexico converter
New Mexico Principal MeridianUtah converter
Salt Lake MeridianTexas TXSS abstracts, also covered
Texas RRC counties, abstracts, and surveys matter for renewable energy workflows just as much as PLSS sections. Township America converts both PLSS section descriptions and Texas Abstract / Block & Section / Survey-name descriptions. One resolver, one API, both systems.
A-123 Reeves County, TXBlock 5, Sec 14, T&P Survey, ReevesJohn Smith Survey, Bexar CountyScore a candidate parcel for renewable siting
The Energy pack adds the NREL resource score, BLM Solar Plan zones, wind turbines within 2 miles, sage-grouse habitat, and split-estate ownership for every PLSS section or Texas abstract. Stack it with Federal Land for flood, soils, and habitat screening. Packs work on Pro or Business, and each includes 100 parcel reports/month.
NREL siting score · BLM Solar zones · wind turbines (2 mi) · sage-grouse HMA · renewable-siting notes.
FEMA flood · NRCS soils · USFS wildfire risk · USFWS critical habitat · wetlands · BLM surface + PLAD access · 3DEP elevation.
RRC wells & pipelines · GLO state leases · PSF + agency surface · coastal erosion.
Frequently asked questions
Can Township America handle multi-section solar project boundaries?
Yes, on Business. Solar and wind projects often span dozens of contiguous sections across several townships. Upload a CSV with every PLSS description and Township America returns GPS coordinates and boundary polygons for each section, quarter section, and quarter-quarter. Business includes 2,500 records/month per organization. Export the results as GeoJSON or KML for ArcGIS Pro or QGIS.
Which states are covered for BLM right-of-way applications?
Township America covers all 30 PLSS states and all 37 principal meridians, including Nevada, Wyoming, California, Arizona, New Mexico, Utah, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, and Oregon, where most utility-scale renewable projects on public land are sited. Descriptions under the Mount Diablo, San Bernardino, Gila and Salt River, and 6th Principal Meridians convert without picking a meridian by hand.
Does the API support automated PLSS lookups in permitting software?
Yes. The Township America REST API, a separate subscription from the web plans, accepts PLSS descriptions and returns GeoJSON with the boundary polygon and centroid of each match. It fits into permitting tools, project databases, and GIS pipelines. The batch endpoint handles up to 100 descriptions per request.
How precise are the coordinate outputs for transmission line routing?
Township America resolves descriptions down to the quarter-quarter section (about 40 acres) using official BLM CadNSDI survey data. That is enough to identify which parcels a corridor crosses and to give field crews a starting point. It does not replace a licensed survey of the right-of-way centerline.
More in Energy & Resources
See the category- Oil & Gas Wells, leases, and permits by tract
- Energy Land Research One sourced report around a legal description
- Orphaned Well Screening Orphaned and abandoned wells near a tract
- Mining Lode, placer, and mill site claims
- Mining Claim Diligence Claims and federal land records by tract
- Pipeline Integrity Pilot Land and energy records for every segment
- ROW & Utility Corridors Pilot Utility, telecom, road, and water corridors
Convert your project sections now
Batch convert PLSS descriptions to GPS coordinates on Business, ready for BLM filings and GIS.