Dear Senate Majority Leader Schumer,
Over the past year, there has been an unprecedented surge in private investments towards clean energy, resulting in the unveiling of over 200 transformative clean energy projects. These developments have significantly expanded the current capacity, now capable of powering more than 62 million American households. However, an alarming permitting and logistical bottleneck has caused a sharp 15% decrease in energy installation across America for the first time in the past five years.
While we acknowledge the recent efforts made by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to finalize improvements to the permitting process, the new rule is indiscriminate of renewable and non-renewable energy projects. Moreover, the reforms fail to tackle the growing backlogs in our energy grid infrastructure. These backlogs are just one of several urgent issues in the energy transmission industry, including challenges related to sourcing, siting, and the crucial necessity for upgrades to unleash the massive 2000 gigawatts of energy currently stuck in the interconnection queue.
With that in mind, I implore you to act urgently to streamline the transmission and interconnection process. Through your leadership I hope to see legislation that will:
- Establish a fair Long-Term Regional Transmission Cost Allocation Method and a set of clear transmission benefits to a region.
- Promote the modernization of grid infrastructure that leverages the latest technologies in interregional electric transmission and clean affordable energy.
- Relieve grid congestion and promote more efficient grid planning by requiring transmission planners to make long-term reliability assessments including scenarios with high usage of renewables.
- Require planners to consider non-wires alternatives, instead using existing electric line infrastructure more efficiently to avoid building new capital. Reducing the need for new transmission and can help avoid environmental and community impacts that can delay project permitting.
- Promote environmental justice by incorporating the McEachin Environmental Justice for All Act and securing careers for workers in frontline and energy communities.
The urgency of this situation cannot be overstated. Millions of American households are in dire need of immediate action. Remarkable progress in the past has led to a more than 50% reduction in clean energy costs over the last decade. The sustainable energy sector has already provided gainful employment to 443,000 individuals across various industries with numbers set to soar in the imminent future.
Please pass clean energy permitting legislation as soon as possible.
