Biden Administration Expands Solar Energy on Federal Lands

(Reuters) – U.S. President Joe Biden’s administration announced on Thursday a finalized plan to expand solar energy across 11 western states, part of a broader initiative to expedite permitting and construction of large infrastructure projects.

The White House aims to accelerate approvals for various projects, including power transmission and renewable energy farms, to decarbonize the power sector and address climate change. This effort is also aligned with the ‘Investing in America’ agenda in anticipation of the upcoming November presidential election.

White House Deputy Chief of Staff Natalie Quillian emphasized the administration’s commitment to enhancing the federal permitting process through executive authority.

The U.S. Bureau of Land Management identified 31 million acres of land (12.5 million hectares) across Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Washington, and Wyoming as optimal for solar development. These lands, noted for their high solar potential and minimal conflicts with wildlife, will ease the permitting of proposed projects.

Additionally, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) conditionally approved a rule allowing emissions reduction credits for companies transitioning vehicle fleets to cleaner alternatives in Maricopa County, Arizona. These credits can be sold to semiconductor factory owners to compensate for air emissions and to comply with federal air quality standards.

The EPA oversees state plans to reduce pollution in areas such as Maricopa County, which is dealing with elevated ozone emissions.

The area has received significant investment in chip manufacturing, attracting companies like Intel and Taiwan’s TSMC due to federal incentives. The new credits are expected to expedite the start of operations for these facilities.

The administration highlighted that the plan will continue to enhance environmental permitting processes, which have already reduced the median time for project reviews by six months, and allowed for more project approvals than during former President Donald Trump’s administration, who is also contesting the presidential election against Vice President Kamala Harris.