30 Aug 2024
In the Biden administration’s latest move to speed up the federal solar permitting process, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) will make over 31 million acres of public lands across eleven western states available for solar development.
BLM announced a roadmap meant to support expanded solar energy production by making renewable energy siting and permitting on public lands more efficient. The White House said this action will ease burdens on solar developers and help expedite reviews of solar projects by steering them to areas with high solar potential and low wildlife and land conflicts.
“For over 12 years SEIA has advocated for leveling the playing field for renewables and increasing public land access for solar and storage development,” said Ben Norris, vice president of regulatory affairs at the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA). “While we’re still reviewing the details, we’re pleased to see that BLM listened to much of the solar industry’s feedback and added 11 million acres to its original proposal. While this is a step in the right direction, fossil fuels have access to over 80 million acres of public land, 2.5 times the amount of public land available for solar.”
The Biden administration claims it has cut 6 months off the median time it takes for agencies to complete environmental impact statements, the most comprehensive form of environmental review.
According to forecasts from Wood Mackenzie, the solar industry could reach 673 GW by 2034, but there is a 200 GW difference between the high- and low-case solar deployment forecasts.
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