WASHINGTON, D.C. — Following is a statement from Abigail Ross Hopper, president and CEO of the Solar Energy Industries Association on the permitting reform package released yesterday by Senator Manchin.

“The U.S. electric grid is simply not equipped to handle the significant volume of clean energy that is going to be deployed in the next decade after passage of the Inflation Reduction Act. The proposal from Senator Manchin takes important steps to reform processes that will be critical to the growth of clean energy, and the solar and storage industry is particularly supportive of the transmission elements of the package.

“Lack of access to high-voltage transmission lines continues to be a roadblock for delivering clean energy from where it’s generated to the homes and businesses where it’s consumed. This is a fundamental challenge for quickly deploying the clean energy necessary to reduce carbon emissions and save Americans money. The transmission cost allocation provisions in this bill will streamline new transmission approvals without compromising on necessary environmental reviews. SEIA looks forward to continuing our bipartisan work with members of Congress on this and other critical clean energy issues.”