Solar & Storage Industry Respond To White House Release Of Bipartisan Permitting Reform Implementation Rulethat includes streamlining of permitting and environmental reviews for solar and transmission projects on federal lands under the National Environmental Policy Act .
“Today’s Bipartisan Permitting Reform Implementation proposed rule will help speed permitting timelines for solar and transmission projects on federal lands that are critical for strengthening American energy security and tackling climate change. We are glad to see the White House prioritize environmental justice and community engagement in NEPA reviews, as well as setting clear review deadlines that will keep projects moving forward in a timely manner.
Following is a statement from Melissa Alfano, director of energy markets and counsel at the Solar Energy Industries Association : “In particular, we are pleased to see that the rules set binding study deadlines and establish penalties for transmission providers that fail to meet those deadlines. In addition, the new rules will make it easier to add energy storage to projects that are already in the interconnection queue, helping to increase energy storage capacity on the grid and recognize the growing value clean energy has when it comes to providing grid services.