Ian Brickey, ian.brickey@gmail.com
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, the Biden administration announced two significant advancements in the country’s effort to transition to clean and renewable energy.
The Department of the Interior finalized a new federal rule on renewable energy that will promote solar and wind energy development on public lands. The new rule reduces capacity fees and streamlines application reviews to speed up project development. The rule also balances development of renewable energy sources with conservation by facilitating renewable development in priority areas, protecting more fragile landscapes from development.
The administration also announced the country had permitted more than 25 gigawatts of renewable energy, exceeding the president’s goal for permitting approvals during his first term. So far, Interior has approved 29 gigawatts of renewable energy projects, and is currently in the preliminary review stage for about 200 additional applications.
In response, Sierra Club National Lands Conservation Campaign Manager Jackie Feinberg, released the following statement:
“Time is of the essence in transitioning to clean and renewable energy, and public lands play an important role in that transition. The Biden administration has made incredible strides in building out our clean and renewable energy capacity. Today’s announcement furthers that goal of a clean energy transition while balancing the equally vital goal of protecting the wildlands and waters our communities and wildlife rely on.”
About the Sierra Club
The Sierra Club is America’s largest and most influential grassroots environmental organization, with millions of members and supporters. In addition to protecting every person's right to get outdoors and access the healing power of nature, the Sierra Club works to promote clean energy, safeguard the health of our communities, protect wildlife, and preserve our remaining wild places through grassroots activism, public education, lobbying, and legal action. For more information, visit www.sierraclub.org.