Western Governors have shared their support of House legislation that promotes responsible renewable energy development in the West and ensures states and counties are compensated for their service in support of those projects.
The outreach on the Public Lands Renewable Energy Development Act of 2019 (H.R. 3794) asserts that "Western Governors support: an all-of-the-above energy portfolio, including geothermal, solar, and wind energy; clear, efficient, transparent, and coordinated energy regulation and permitting; and energy policy that advances economic growth and protects the environment."
The Aug. 19, 2019 letter was sent to leadership of the Committee on Agriculture and Committee on Natural Resources. It notes "several elements of H.R. 3794 align with these policy goals, including identification of priority areas and targets for renewable energy production on federal lands, authorization of the use of programmatic and supplemental National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) analysis, and establishment of permit coordination offices."
"Furthermore, the bill assures that the federal government provides states and counties with the resources necessary to offset the loss of tax revenue and local environmental and other impacts from renewable development on certain public lands within their borders," adds the letter signed by WGA Chair North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum and Vice Chair Oregon Gov. Kate Brown.
