By Tom Marcinko
Phoenix Business Journal
Arizona sits near the top of many national solar energy lists, including number of installations and jobs. But when it comes to speedy municipal permitting for residential and business solar systems, the state is all over the map.
To get a permit might take less than a week for a project on Maricopa or Pima County land, said Leisa Brug, director of the Governor’s Office for Energy Policy. The same goes for the cities of Peoria, Sierra Vista, Tucson, Goodyear and Lake Havasu City.
“Other areas may take up to three weeks or longer,” she said.
Contractors often criticize cities’ permitting procedures, citing red tape, costs and delays.
In 2011, Arizona won a $709,000 Solar Rooftop Challenge grant from the U.S. Department of Energy to find ways to streamline permitting. In February 2012, the Energy Policy Office is expected to issue a report on best practices and how to “move toward voluntary uniformity,” Brug said.
Likely recommendations include flat fees, over-the-counter permitting, standardized requirements and inspection windows of less than two hours. They’ve already been advocated by the Governor’s Solar Energy Advisory Task Force, organized by Brug’s office.
