The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Indian Energy, in partnership with Western Area Power Administration (Western), will present the next Tribal Renewable Energy Series webinar, Regulatory Impacts for Renewable Energy Projects on Indian Lands, on Wednesday, June 24, 2015, from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Mountain time.
Speakers will discuss environmental laws and regulations that can affect community- and utility-scale projects, such as the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), Section 106, new leasing requirements for renewables, and the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) process.
“The webinar will provide Tribes with insiders’ and outsiders’ perspectives on project development from the drawing board to interconnection, including the pros and cons of different regulatory approaches," said presenter Rollie Wilson, Partner at Fredericks, Peebles, & Morgan LLP.
Wilson will discuss the practical decisions tribal governments must make in developing an energy project, current shortcomings in federal programs for Indian energy development and management, and efforts underway on Capitol Hill to resolve those issues.
Other presenters include Steve Blazek, Acting Technical Services Manager at Western, Carla Clark, Deputy Regional Director of Trust Services for the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA), and Stan Webb, Realty Officer for BIA’s Western Regional Office.
Speakers will also cover what to expect with transmission and interconnection, a case study on South Dakota’s Pine Ridge wind development project, and new statutes that allow Tribes to enter into surface leases without BIA approval.
There is no charge to attend the webinar, but advance registration is required. Register now.
Source: U.S. Dept. of Energy, Office of Indian Energy Policy and Programs
