WASHINGTON, Sept. 29, 2016 - Although a long-term
renewable energy tax credit policy is in place, a bipartisan group of 20
governors says
that other policy and permitting issues still hinder wind and solar
development.
Expanding wind and solar energy production is one of the
best ways to meet the nation’s energy needs, the Governors’ Wind & Solar
Energy Coalition said in a recent letter to President Obama, but despite the renewable tax
incentive the nation still has only one offshore wind project under
construction, off the coast of Rhode Island.
“Indeed, not a single offshore wind facility in the U.S. has
yet become operational and, therefore, been able to take advantage of the
existing tax incentive,” the letter
said.
Permitting collaboration efforts must be improved, the
coalition says, citing the difficulty of getting permits for wind and solar
projects on public lands, as “evidenced by the fact that more than 98 percent
of the currently installed wind energy capacity is on private lands.”
The governors also expressed concern over a proposed rule
from the Bureau
of Land Management (BLM) that would change the existing right-of-way grant
and rental fee process for wind and solar development into a competitive
leasing process. While the governors say they understand the “motivation to
move in this direction,” they urged the administration to address the “many
concerns” raised by the private sector that could limit wind and solar
development on public lands.
The governors urged the administration to ensure that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) does not
broaden legal liability for the private sector under the Migratory
Bird Treaty Act (MBTA), to include wind and solar facilities, without
having a permit process that provides protection from the liability.
Additional changes should also be made to a proposed eagle
permit rule “to ensure the final rule is workable while continuing to protect
eagles,” the governors say.
FWS is “adding uncertainty and unnecessary delays” in
permitting, the coalition says, which affects the development of projects and
operating facilities on both on public and private lands, the letter says.
The Coast Guard’s
recently finalized Atlantic
Coast Port Access Route Study (ACPARS) is also a concern, the governors
say, because “it is not clear that the approaches detailed in ACPARS properly
balance the multiple uses of the ocean.” The coalition urged the administration
to “find a pathway” between the Coast Guard and the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) that
allows for the offshore wind industry to move forward, and that includes
“robust collaboration” with the states.
American Wind Energy Association (AWEA) CEO Tom Kiernan thanked
the governors for their support. “Wind farms are some of the greatest
infrastructure projects this country has ever built,” Kiernan said. “But
there’s a lot more to be done if wind energy is to meet its promise. These
governors are leading. They’re attuned to economic development needs and
deployment challenges in their states, and they’re looking to the federal
agencies to help rather than hinder.”
#30
For more news, go to: www.Agri-Pulse.com
