Final Regulations Enact SEIA’s Recommendations to Reduce Costs and Expedite Renewable Energy Advancement on Public Lands

Today, the U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM) released final regulations overseeing leasing and rental rates for renewable energy ventures on public lands. These regulations closely align with suggestions from the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) to simplify the advancement of clean energy initiatives on federal territories.

The finalized regulations will:

• Lower rents and fees for renewable energy initiatives until 2035 and eradicate redundant payments for developers in this sector;
• Prolong lease durations for renewable projects to 50 years;
• Eliminate competitive leasing prerequisites in key development zones; and
• Simplify the process for establishing independent energy storage projects on public lands.

Abigail Ross Hopper, president and CEO of SEIA, issued the following statement:

“Today the U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM) codified SEIA’s recommendations to make it faster, easier, and cheaper to build clean energy projects on public lands. We need to pull every lever we can to efficiently deploy clean energy, and our nation’s public lands remain an untapped resource. BLM’s new rules are a smart step forward and will help to reverse decades of preferential treatment for fossil fuel interests.

“We commend BLM for working alongside the solar and storage industry to deliver thoughtful rules that will help us strengthen the grid and deliver reliable clean energy to more consumers. We will continue to push for pragmatic solutions that will help us achieve our ambitious clean energy goals.”