Expanding Renewable Energy on Public Lands Must Include Responsible Siting Upfront

WASHINGTON D.C. (July 22, 2024) – While two House bills, both entitled the Public Lands Renewable Energy Development Act, are a promising step towards reaching the country’s climate goals, requiring that renewable energy on public lands be sited responsibly upfront is key to preserving nature and wildlife and minimizing community opposition, which will lead to faster deployment of renewable energy in the end.  

H. R. 9012, introduced by Rep. Mike Levin, would promote the responsible deployment of wind, solar, and geothermal resources on public lands by encouraging the Secretary of the Interior to identify priority areas in coordination with local communities and Tribal Nations to encourage smart siting of projects in places with high energy potential and lower impact on wildlife and habitat. And while both bills would provide economic benefits to states and counties, only H.R. 9012 updates the Congressionally-approved national renewable energy goal on public lands to 60 gigawatts permitted onshore by 2030. The United States surpassed the previous national renewable energy goal earlier this year. The Wilderness Society strongly urges Congress to move all provisions included in H.R. 9012 forward.  

The following statement is from Justin Meuse, Government Relations Director at The Wilderness Society:   

“Public lands and waters house massive wind, solar, and geothermal energy potential, and we’re pleased to see the subcommittee consider legislation that will invest renewable energy revenues in conservation and ensure communities stand to benefit from development. But to responsibly ramp up renewable energy projects on them, this legislation must also include provisions that prioritize engagement with communities and consultation with Tribes early and often about how these projects will affect wildlife, cultural resources, and critical habitats. Establishing strong guardrails and public processes that will steer development toward the lowest-conflict areas, while also investing in states, counties and conservation, will lead to faster, better projects.’”  

According to the Department of the Interior, there are now more than 25 gigawatts of wind, solar, geothermal, and gen-tie transmission projects currently permitted on federal public lands – meaning that the Biden administration has surpassed the congressionally-mandated goal of 25 gigawatts by 2025. There are currently more than 60 additional projects in review, representing nearly 29 gigawatts of capacity on federal public land – which could power almost 14 million homes across the country. There are more than 190 applications to build renewable energy projects on these lands.  

Currently, all revenue for wind and solar development on federal land – including rents, fees, bonus bids, and application filing fees – goes back to the federal government. Conversely, oil and gas revenues – including rents, bonus bids, royalties, filing fees, and other assessments – are shared equally between the federal government and the state, or states, on which a lease parcel is located. 

Contact: Chelsi Moy, Senior Communications Manager at chelsi_moy@tws.org or newsmedia@tws.org.