By Ken Silverstein | energyBiz
The over-use of fossil fuels is focusing greater attention on upping the ante for wind, solar and geothermal power. And the key player in this effort, says a new report by a congressional watchdog agency, is the federal government.
Uncle Sam is well positioned to usher in a new era of renewable energy development, mainly through its land management activities. The Government Accountability Office goes on to say that it oversees tens of millions of acres and that Congress has directed the Department of Interior to facilitate the construction of at least 10,000 megawatts of green energy by 2015.
With that, the agency’s Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has worked to streamline the permitting processes and has tripled its staff so that it could administer applications that it has received. None of this, however, is without controversy: When such projects are built, they invariably displace wildlife and are put atop sensitive areas, all of which require transmission lines. Altogether, BLM has authorized, so far, 5,450 megawatts of green energy to be built on federal property.
Also: APS, REC Solar team on rural school solar power\
Obama Seeks $2 Billion in Research on Cleaner Fuels
Federal Lands Sprinkled with Wind, Solar and Geothermal Projects
If you’d like to discuss energy issues, contact Court Rich, Co-Chair of Rose Law Group’s Renewable Energy Department at crich@roselawgroup.com
