PV Magazine: “Siting Solar on Federal Land under NEPA’s Double-Edged Sword”
This story details new findings from RFF about review timelines for solar and wind under the National Environmental Policy Act.
“More than 50 years after Nixon signed the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) into law, the legislation has become known as a major obstacle to locating solar and wind projects on federal public lands or seeking federal funding. A paper by Resources for the Future (RFF) examined the impact of litigation on utility-scale solar and wind energy projects when undergoing NEPA review...
‘Changes to NEPA’s environmental review process could speed up project development timelines. But so too would efforts to address some of the other factors delaying projects after the completion of the NEPA process,’ said Emily Joiner, an RFF research associate. ‘While environmental reviews and lawsuits are not insurmountable obstacles, policy proposals to revamp permitting processes in the United States may consider the variety of factors contributing to delays in renewable projects.’”
