CEQ Codifies Solar Permitting Reforms, Creating a Win-Win for Clean Energy & the Environment

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(Final week), the Council on Environmental High quality (CEQ) launched ultimate guidelines making vital amendments to the Nationwide Environmental Coverage Act (NEPA) and implementing the 2023 Monetary Accountability Act.

During the last three years the Photo voltaic Vitality Industries Affiliation (SEIA) submitted quite a few feedback to CEQ on the reforms wanted to enhance the allowing course of for renewable power tasks on public lands.

Following is a press release from Abigail Ross Hopper, president and CEO of the Photo voltaic Vitality Industries Affiliation (SEIA) on the developments:

“We’re happy to see that the Council on Environmental High quality (CEQ) carried out lots of SEIA’s common sense recommendations to each shield the surroundings and make it simpler to construct clear power tasks on public land.

“These guidelines implement each time and web page limits for environmental critiques and authorize the businesses to take a extra collaborative strategy to the allowing course of. CEQ additionally codified a protracted overdue Congressional directive to think about environmental justice throughout these critiques, serving to to advance the photo voltaic and storage trade’s efforts to heart fairness and justice in power policymaking choices.

“The foundations also needs to forestall prolonged critiques for decrease impression infrastructure tasks, liberating up precious company sources. It will make it quicker to construct a wide range of tasks on federal lands from photo voltaic and storage amenities to new carbon seize ventures.

“The solar and storage industry has already demonstrated that we can both balance conversation efforts and meet the administration’s goal to site 25 gigawatts (GW) of renewable energy on public lands by 2025. We believe the new rules will allow us to permit the next 25 GW even faster without sacrificing our shared public lands, a win-win for both the solar and storage industry and the environment.”

Press launch from the Solar Energy Industries Association®.