The Biden administration said Thursday it has completed a plan to expand solar power on federal lands in 11 Western states, part of a broader push to speed up permitting and construction of large infrastructure projects.
The White House wants to speed up approvals for projects ranging from power transmission to wind and solar farms, as it seeks to decarbonize the energy sector to combat climate change, and is eager to promote its “Invest in America” agenda ahead of the November presidential election.
“We’ve really been pushing ourselves to use our executive authority wherever possible to improve the federal clearance process,” White House Deputy Chief of Staff Natalie Quinllan said in an interview.
The U.S. Bureau of Land Management’s plan has identified 31 million acres (12.5 million hectares) most suitable for solar development in Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Washington and Wyoming.
The identified lands have high solar potential and low conflicts with wildlife and plant habitats, giving proposed projects on these sites a quick start on obtaining permits.
The White House also said the Environmental Protection Agency has conditionally approved a rule that creates emissions-reduction credits for businesses in Maricopa County, Arizona, to convert their vehicle fleets to cleaner alternatives. The White House said the credits could be sold to owners of planned semiconductor factories in the area to offset air emissions and help the region comply with federal air quality standards.
The EPA is tasked with approving state plans to reduce pollution in areas like Maricopa County, home to Arizona’s capital, Phoenix, because it has high ozone emissions.
The White House said the county has attracted an influx of chip manufacturing investment from companies like Intel (NASDAQ:INTC) and Taiwan’s TSMC linked to federal incentives, and the new credits will help those facilities get up and running.
The administration said the plan would build on gains it has already made in speeding up environmental permitting, which it said has so far shaved six months off the average time required to complete a review.
She added that US agencies have allowed more projects than those allowed by the administration of former President Donald Trump, who is competing against Vice President Kamala Harris in the presidential elections.