Cutting Through Red Tape for Better Access to Clean Energy

Just like Rome wasn’t built in a day, our renewable energy revolution won’t be achieved overnight. In fact, we can’t assume it’s an inevitability. The steps we take and the opportunities we create will fundamentally determine the future of our energy systems—as well as our world.

We’ve regularly emphasized how essential it is to have as many people as possible adopting clean energy through the avenues that are currently available. It’s also crucially important to expand access to the tools and technologies that will allow renewables to flourish. To be blunt, clean energy simply won’t empower us to meet our goals for a more sustainable planet if only a fraction of Americans have access.

Passed in 2022, the Inflation Reduction Act signaled an unprecedented commitment to expanding the availability of renewable sources and clean power storage across America. It’s an encouraging start and one that should spur further actions that will allow us to implement better energy systems as efficiently as possible.

One of the most impactful steps that can be taken? A serious re-evaluation of the administrative processes that are required for any new clean energy project to come to fruition.

Let’s be honest: Approvals and permitting aren’t flashy topics. (In fact, it may be difficult to find something less glamorous.) But they are fundamental to the future of our energy systems. The United States’ current permitting processes at the federal, state, and local levels aren’t in alignment with the clean power goals recently of many American businesses. To meet decarbonization targets, experts say we’ll have to build new energy infrastructure much more quickly than we have in the recent past. Faster approvals are a necessity.

For a better understanding of the current landscape and the work that still needs to be done, let’s take a closer look at the state of permitting on several levels:

Federal attention has returned to permitting challenges in recent months. In September, Senator Joe Manchin introduced the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2022, which was intended to simplify approval processes and shorten timelines for both renewable energy and fossil fuel projects. While the bill hasn’t yet found success—Senate Republicans wanted more benefits for fossil fuel developments, while some Democrats felt it already offered too many concessions to oil and gas—conversations related to permitting have resurfaced in committee hearings during recent weeks.

A key permitting function at the federal level (and one that would be addressed by the Energy Independence and Security Act) involves the establishment of interstate transmission lines. An improved approval process in this area would be beneficial during the review of proposed infrastructure that passes through multiple states, more quickly determining the viability of large-scale renewable energy projects designed to deliver clean power over long distances. 

More of the details on Manchin’s proposal and the latest efforts related to permitting at the federal level are available here.

Meanwhile, approaches to simplified permitting at the state level are varied and seek to streamline projects of all sizes. Recent efforts to improve administrative processes range from technological enhancements to the establishment of entirely new offices.

• In New York, the Office of Renewable Energy Siting (ORES) was established in 2020, dedicated to expediting review processes specifically for renewable energy projects. ORES has approved 11 large-scale projects since operations began in 2021.
• Connecticut, Virginia, and Michigan have launched online dashboards that display relevant administrative deadlines and add transparency to the permitting process.
• Very recently, the Minnesota state legislature passed a bill requiring the state’s utilities to adopt 100% clean energy by 2040, making it the 11th state to mandate such a transition. Notably, provisions designed to streamline permitting were included within the same bill.

Of course, approaches at the local level are even more numerous. No city or state has identified a perfect fix for the challenge of time-intensive permitting processes, but that shouldn’t keep anyone from taking action. With states across the country poised to see an influx of applications for renewable energy projects following the passage of the Inflation Reduction Act, it’s the correct time for administrators to revisit their approval frameworks and see where improvements can be made.

Your community’s leaders may be already in the midst of a conversation about permitting reform. If you haven’t seen anything in the headlines recently, a quick Google search with the name of your city or state plus “energy permitting” will likely help point you toward relevant updates.

At every level, there’s a tremendous amount of room for permitting processes to be improved by leveraging the technologies that exist all around us. SolarAPP+, a program funded by the Department of Energy that focuses on streamlining the permitting process for rooftop solar installers, is currently operating in more than two dozen communities across California, Arizona, Virginia, and Connecticut. By automating key steps of the permitting process, the app is designed to minimize the delays and complications that take place when administrative work is done manually. Early users say approval times are being reduced by two weeks or more.

While SolarAPP+ isn’t going to put an end to permitting issues—the program is only operational in a handful of jurisdictions and is not yet compatible with commercial energy projects—it demonstrates the real benefits of reconsidering our existing processes (and outdated paper forms). We live in a staggeringly high-tech world, and we should consider every available opportunity to employ these technologies in service of a more seamless permitting experience.

Even as administrative processes are reconsidered and refined, we’ll also benefit by choosing our own approaches to clean energy carefully. It’s no secret that Catalyst Power strongly believes in the specific potential of rooftop solar. One key advantage is its nature as an easy and unobtrusive way to integrate a new source of energy. Environmental protections (rightfully) rank among the essential questions that arise when new energy projects are in development; rooftop solar minimizes the new infrastructure that needs to be constructed by making use of existing urban spaces. By placing installations on top of buildings that are already standing, rooftop solar eliminates any need to touch undisturbed land or hang wires that cut through pristine natural spaces.

In other words, we can choose sources of renewable energy that have minimal effects on the physical environment, allowing us to avoid some of the industry’s most difficult permitting issues altogether. For example, the topic of interstate transmission lines, which is a central focus of Senator Manchin’s bill, is a non-issue here. Rooftop solar provides a wires-free way to access renewable energy, making it a far simpler solution than power lines that cross multiple states and raise complex questions about land use.

Regardless of the specific circumstances, permitting complications creates some unnecessary hurdles for clean power—but a knowledge of the process can present opportunities to take action. Keep these steps in mind as ways you can guide your own community toward greater progress on the issue of energy access.

• When you see lawmakers pursuing improvements in the areas of permitting and administration, voice your support! It can go a long way in reinforcing the importance of this work, which can easily be sidelined in favor of flashier political pursuits if public engagement is low. Better yet, proactively get in touch to ensure these issues are on their radar. Leverage relationships within your community to help local leaders understand the importance of efficient, transparent processes for projects like these.
• This information may also come in handy the next time you’re talking to someone who thinks renewable energy “will never work” or takes too long to be a feasible approach. We can build the modern infrastructure we need to make renewables succeed on a broad scale, and it doesn’t have to be as prohibitive, time-consuming, or expensive as critics think. The necessary resources and technologies already exist for a future driven by clean power. We just need to create an environment where they can grow and thrive.
• Again, your choice of renewable energy does matter. Permitting processes will never be eliminated entirely, but the power source you select can determine the amount of time and energy you’ll have to invest in navigating the approval process. Consider the streamlined, minimally disruptive nature of rooftop solar and take control of your connection to clean power instead of waiting for the necessary wires to make it to you.

Permitting remains a massively complicated subject that can (and should) be refined in many ways. The administrative checkpoints in place often serve a legitimate purpose, and there are important conversations to be had about pursuing clean energy infrastructure while preserving the natural world around us. Still, it’s essential that the approval structures we maintain are purposeful and can be navigated as efficiently as possible. Our ability to meet some of the country’s most crucial clean energy goals depends on it.