Anti-Environmental Renewable Energy Package Aims to Short-Circuit Environmental Laws

June 23, 2011

BREAKING: Some members of the U.S. House of Representatives are taking another swipe at environmental protection laws through a suite of renewable energy bills (H.R. 2170, 2171, 2172 and 2173), which would allow renewable-energy developers to short-circuit environmental impact studies for clean energy projects on public lands.

The following is a statement from Jim Lyons, Defenders of Wildlife’s senior director for renewable energy:

“Financial insecurity and uncertainty are the real roadblocks to clean energy — not wildlife and important laws to protect our environment. The solar and wind energy industries have time and again asked Congress to establish a stable source of federal financial incentives, like it does for oil and gas, to drive real growth and steady development. And we agree with them.

“These bills fail to provide any assurances of that much-needed capital, and will do little to spur clean energy development. In fact, the budget proposed by House leaders would cut clean energy funding.

“If generating jobs and advancing clean energy is really the goal, the solution is not circumventing the laws designed to protect the environment. Instead of addressing the real roadblock to clean energy development, these bills perpetuate the myth that it is environmental laws standing in the way. This is simply not the case.”

Background:

The package of bills follows a series of Congressional hearings exploring challenges to developing renewable energy projects, such as wind farms and solar power plants, on federal lands.

During congressional hearings in May and early June, however, industry leaders highlighted the lack of stable federal financial incentives for renewable energy projects as the biggest barrier to faster development.

Instead of addressing the real roadblock to clean energy development, these bills perpetuate the myth that it is environmental laws standing in the way. This is simply not the case.

“Without more stable federal financial incentives and demand-side policies,” said Roby Roberts with the American Wind Energy Association at the hearing, “any changes to make developing wind energy projects on public lands more attractive will be of only marginal benefit.”

But the bills, the subject of a hearing in the House Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources today, fail to solidify federal incentives for renewable energy projects.