WASHINGTON - As the Interior Department today announced the approval of three more utility-scale wind and solar projects on public lands, Rep. Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) released a report completed at his request by the Government Accountability Office (GAO) that found permitting times have fallen considerably for wind, solar, and geothermal projects on public lands and that reforms instituted at the Interior Department under the Obama administration are a major reason why. Yet the across-the-board cuts from sequestration could hamper this progress.
“When it comes to energy development, for too long America’s public lands have been the private playgrounds for oil and gas companies," said Rep. Markey, the Ranking Member of the Natural Resources Committee. “But America’s public lands also hold some of the best wind, solar, and geothermal resources in the world. The report I am releasing today is evidence that the current administration’s energy strategy is moving our nation in a cleaner direction."
During the 8 years of the Bush administration, the Interior Department issued more than 40,000 permits to drill for oil and gas on public lands. But of the more than 300 applications to build solar facilities that came in during that time, none were approved. Only five wind permits were approved. Under President Obama, 20 solar projects totaling more than 7,000 megawatts and 8 wind projects totaling more than 4,000 megawatts have been approved. Included in these figures are three projects located in California and Nevada that were announced earlier today.
Key findings in the GAO report include:
--The average timeframe for permitting wind and solar projects has dropped from about 4 years for application submitted in 2006, to 1.5 years for applications submitted in 2009.
--Federal land management agencies have devoted increased resources to process renewable energy permit applications, with the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) leading the way with a tripling of staff devoted to processing wind and solar energy applications.
--As of May 2012, nearly 70 percent of the wind and solar projects receiving Department approval under the Obama administration were either operational, under construction, or still in active development.
--Of the 29 applications for utility-scale geothermal projects that BLM received, 100 percent received either approved exploration plans or were withdrawn by the applicant. For the 25 projects approved for exploration, BLM approved 168 geothermal drilling permits.
--The Interior Department has implemented policy advancements like programmatic environmental impact statements, designation of priority projects, and formalized coordination between and across federal agencies and with state and local governments to improve renewable energy development on public lands.
“President Obama and Secretary Salazar have talked the talk when it comes to clean energy development and today’s report verifies that they’re walking the walk as well. The last thing we should do right now is reverse this progress, but that is exactly what Republicans pushing the budget sequester and the Ryan Budget would do," said Markey.
According to the Interior Department, sequestration could have serious consequences for the domestic renewable energy industry since sequestration’s mandatory cuts could significantly delay their ability to issue permits for new development, plan for new projects, conduct environmental reviews and lease new federal lands for future development.
With the approval of a large wind project in October 2012, the Interior Department announced it had permitted a cumulative total of 10,000 megawatts of non-hydro renewable energy generation and transmission projects on public lands and thus achieved the 2015 goal set forth by Congress in the Energy Policy Act of 2005.
In a letter exchange with Rep. Markey intended to clarify points brought up in the GAO report, Secretary Salazar shared that the BLM has identified a further list of 5,000 megawatts of renewable energy projects that it will review in 2013 and 2014. A copy of that letter can be found HERE and a similar letter exchange with GAO can be found HERE.
