The Department of the Interior announced a proposed update of its renewable energy regulations to promote the development of solar and wind energy on public lands.
The Bureau of Land Management’s proposed Renewable Energy Rule would reduce fees for these projects by around 80%, facilitate development in priority areas by streamlining review of applications, and deliver greater certainty for the private sector.
“The Department of the Interior takes seriously our responsibility to manage the nation’s public lands responsibly and with an eye toward the increasing impacts of the climate crisis. The power and potential of the clean energy future is an undeniable and critical part of that work,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Land and Minerals Management Laura Daniel-Davis. “Under President Biden and Secretary Haaland’s leadership, this Administration is taking an all-hands-on-deck approach toward ambitious clean energy goals that will support families, boost local economies, and help increase climate resilience in communities across the West.”
The BLM last week also made available updated information regarding its ongoing programmatic environmental review for solar energy development across 11 Western states. The preliminary alternatives build on robust public engagement that is helping to strengthen updated plans for responsible solar energy development on public lands.
“Our public lands are playing a critical role in the clean energy transition,” said BLM Director Tracy Stone-Manning. “This proposed rule would allow the BLM to continue leading the way on renewable energy while furthering President Biden’s commitment to building a clean energy economy, tackling the climate crisis, promoting American energy security, and creating jobs in communities across the country.”
Proposed Renewable Energy Rule
The Energy Act of 2020 authorized the BLM to reduce acreage rents and capacity fees to promote wind and solar development. The BLM initially reduced these fees through guidance in 2022. The proposed rule would codify further reductions, improving financial predictability for developers pursuing long-term projects on public land.
The proposed Renewable Energy Rule would expand the BLM’s ability to accept leasing applications in priority areas for wind and solar development without first going through a full auction. It would retain the BLM’s ability to hold competitive auctions where appropriate and consistent with past practice, and expand the BLM’s ability to accept non-competitive leasing applications when they are in the public interest. This update would help facilitate development in these identified priority areas while maintaining appropriate flexibility to ensure a fair return for the use of the public lands.
The proposed rule would also continue the Biden-Harris administration’s commitment to creating American manufacturing jobs while helping to build a clean energy economy. The proposal seeks input on additional incentives to promote public lands’ renewable energy projects developed with American-made parts and materials or constructed using union labor.
The proposed rule opens a 60-day public comment period, which will include three public meetings.
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