200 Clean Energy Companies Urge Congress to Pass Siting, Permitting, & Transmission Reform Before 2024 Election

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WASHINGTON, D.C. — (This week) almost 200 photo voltaic and storage corporations sent a letter to congressional leaders calling for laws to enhance allowing, venture siting, transmission, and public lands entry for photo voltaic and photo voltaic plus storage tasks.

Market forecasts present {that a} vary of coverage and financial outcomes will decide the quantity of photo voltaic deployment over the following decade, together with regulatory components and the tempo of transmission capability buildout. Corporations throughout the photo voltaic and storage worth chain are calling on lawmakers to place ahead allowing and siting reforms that may maintain the business’s development trajectory.

“There are hundreds of billions of investment dollars that depend on our ability to get clean energy projects sited, permitted and efficiently connected to a modern transmission system,” stated Abigail Ross Hopper, president and CEO of the Photo voltaic Vitality Industries Affiliation (SEIA). “Lawmakers in both parties understand the importance of getting new energy infrastructure built quickly and efficiently. Now is the time for policy action to strengthen America’s energy industry and support local economies with jobs and private investments.”

The 200 corporations advocate the next reforms:

• Modernize Federal Vitality Allowing: Streamline and standardize the allowing course of on the federal stage, whereas supporting environmental safeguards.
• Create Challenge Siting Partnerships at All Ranges of Authorities: Encourage federal, state and native authorities to work collectively to determine and designate applicable websites for clear power growth, together with on underutilized and disturbed lands.
• Construct Out Transmission Capability: Put money into transmission planning, construct out, and grid modernization efforts to maximise transmission capability and unlock the complete potential of photo voltaic power, particularly in distant areas with considerable photo voltaic assets.
• Allow Administration to Attain Public Lands Targets: Simplify the method for clear power era and transmission tasks to entry public land leases whereas sustaining environmental conservation requirements.
• Foster Interagency Collaboration: Empower federal companies with siting authority — just like the Federal Vitality Regulatory Fee, Bureau of Land Administration, and Division of Vitality — to create a central clearinghouse for allow functions to make sure a streamlined approval course of for important transmission infrastructure.

Based on forecasts from Wooden Mackenzie, the photo voltaic business may attain 673 GW by 2034, however there’s a 200 GW difference between the high- and low-case solar deployment forecasts.

If Congress fails to behave on allowing and siting reform, communities may lose out on billions of {dollars} and tens of hundreds of jobs.

“Permitting reform at the federal level and significant transmission system investment are essential to our national energy security,” stated Amanda Smith, vp for exterior affairs for AES’ U.S. renewables enterprise. “AES has more than 50 gigawatts of clean energy projects in our U.S. development pipeline. Many of these projects are ready to move forward and will generate critical economic investment and create jobs in local communities across the country, but they require swift permitting action and transmission infrastructure upgrades to ensure we can advance a clean, reliable energy future.”

“Our current laws are not set to enable our nation to build generation and transmission at the scale needed to support our economic growth,” stated Virinder Singh, vp of regulatory and legislative affairs for EDF Renewables. “For example, the Western U.S. needs more solar on federal lands to meet its reliability needs. We can do it, and while heeding environmental and community priorities. But we need federal leadership to match the moment.”

“A lack of transmission capacity is the biggest barrier to the continued growth of the renewable industry,” stated David Mindham, director of regulatory affairs for EDP Renewables North America. “The proposed reforms will remove these barriers, creating thousands of new American manufacturing jobs and supporting local economies.”

“Pine Gate calls upon Congress to improve energy infrastructure permitting as we prepare to invest billions of dollars to advance positive economic growth and support local communities across the country,” stated Maggie Sasser, vp of presidency and exterior affairs for Pine Gate Renewables.

Read the letter and the list of companies urging Congress to act on siting and permitting reform.

Information launch from UNTIL.