Bill Would Allow Renewables to Share Public Land Leased for Fossil Fuels
WASHINGTON — A bipartisan Senate bill, the Co-Location Energy Act, would streamline permitting for future wind and solar energy projects by allowing them to be co-located on federal land with existing oil and gas leases.
“Our clean energy future is here. We need to meet it,” said Sen. John Hickenlooper, D-Colo., who cosponsored the legislation with Sen. John Curtis, R-Utah.
“Our bipartisan bill will cut unnecessary red tape to speed our energy production and bring more wind and solar projects online quicker,” Hickenlooper continued.
“The Co-Location Energy Act is a commonsense approach that leverages already-leased federal lands for renewable energy development,” Curtis said.
“By expediting permitting and ensuring that previously disturbed areas are fully utilized, this bill strengthens energy supply to the grid without compromising existing operations,” he added.
High infrastructure costs, complex permitting processes, and land acquisition have all slowed the development of renewable energy projects in the U.S., the senators said.
Their aim is to change the way the federal government evaluates such projects.
Specifically, the legislation directs the Department of the Interior to authorize renewable energy developers to evaluate and, with leaseholder consent, construct clean energy projects on existing oil, gas, coal and geothermal leased areas.
It also directs the department to expedite the permitting process by assessing if wind and solar production could qualify for a categorical exclusion under the National Environmental Policy Act.
“Bipartisan action on energy is a win for everyone,” said Adam Met, founder and executive director of Planet Reimagined, which advocates for bipartisan solutions to clean energy challenges.
Met said the legislation has the potential to open up 18 million acres of current and former oil and gas land for new solar and wind projects.
“This can generate up to 2000 GW of new electricity, and will go a long way towards securing America’s energy future,” he said.
The American Clean Power Association is also throwing its support behind the bill, saying it “supports a forward-thinking, all-the-above energy strategy, which is essential for ensuring Americans have access to reliable and affordable energy.”
The legislation has been referred to the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works.
Dan can be reached at [email protected] and @DanMcCue
