25 CFR § 162.502 - Who must obtain a WEEL or WSR lease?

---
identifier: "/us/cfr/t25/s162.502"
source: "ecfr"
legal_status: "authoritative_unofficial"
title: "25 CFR § 162.502 - Who must obtain a WEEL or WSR lease?"
title_number: 25
title_name: "Indians"
section_number: "162.502"
section_name: "Who must obtain a WEEL or WSR lease?"
chapter_name: "BUREAU OF INDIAN AFFAIRS, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR"
subchapter_number: "H"
subchapter_name: "LAND AND WATER"
part_number: "162"
part_name: "LEASES AND PERMITS"
positive_law: false
currency: "2026-04-05"
last_updated: "2026-04-05"
format_version: "1.1.0"
generator: "[email protected]"
authority: "5 U.S.C. 301, R.S. 463 and 465; 25 U.S.C. 2 and 9. Interpret or apply sec. 3, 26 Stat. 795, sec. 1, 28 Stat. 305, secs. 1, 2, 31 Stat. 229, 246, secs. 7, 12, 34 Stat. 545, 34 Stat. 1015, 1034, 35 Stat. 70, 95, 97, sec. 4, 36 Stat. 856, sec. 1, 39 Stat. 128, 41 Stat. 415, as amended, 751, 1232, sec. 17, 43 Stat. 636, 641, 44 Stat. 658, as amended, 894, 1365, as amended, 47 Stat. 1417, sec. 17, 48 Stat. 984, 988, 49 Stat. 115, 1135, sec. 55, 49 Stat. 781, sec. 3, 49 Stat. 1967, 54 Stat. 745, 1057, 60 Stat. 308, secs. 1, 2, 60 Stat. 962, sec. 5, 64 Stat. 46, secs. 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 64 Stat. 470, 69 Stat. 539, 540, 72 Stat. 968, 107 Stat. 2011, 108 Stat. 4572, March 20, 1996, 110 Stat. 4016; 25 U.S.C. 380, 393, 393a, 394, 395, 397, 402, 402a, 403, 403a, 403b, 403c, 409a, 413, 415, 415a, 415b, 415c, 415d, 416, 477, 635, 2201  3701, 3702, 3703, 3712, 3713, 3714, 3715, 3731, 3733, 4211; 44 U.S.C. 3101"
regulatory_source: "66 FR 7109, Jan. 22, 2001, unless otherwise noted."
cfr_part: "162"
---


# 162.502 Who must obtain a WEEL or WSR lease?

(a) Anyone seeking to possess Indian land to conduct activities associated with the evaluation of wind resources must obtain a WEEL, except that a WEEL is not required if use or possession of the Indian land to conduct wind energy evaluation activities is authorized:

(1) Under § 162.005(b);

(2) By a permit from the Indian landowners under § 162.007; or

(3) By a tribe on its land under 25 U.S.C. 81.

(b) Except as provided in §§ 162.005(b), 162.501, and paragraph (c) of this section, anyone seeking to possess Indian land to conduct activities associated with the development of wind and/or solar resources must obtain a WSR lease.

(c) A tribe that conducts wind and solar resource activities on its tribal land does not need a WEEL or WSR under this subpart.