WASHINGTON, D.C. — The White House Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) released a final rule today which strengthens environmental reviews of infrastructure, including solar and transmission projects on federal lands, under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA).

The rule largely returns CEQ’s regulations to the pre-2020 status quo, and will aid in the development of renewable energy projects by again requiring agencies to consider indirect and cumulative effects of federal decision-making, including climate impacts.

Following is a statement by Sean Gallagher, vice president of state & regulatory affairs for the Solar Energy Industries Association:

“SEIA is pleased to see the CEQ work to implement new rules of the road for agencies conducting NEPA reviews. The Phase 1 rule provides regulatory certainty for project developers who expect to build close to 3,000 megawatts of new solar energy capacity on federal lands over the next several years. These projects are critical to this administration’s clean energy goals and will support 15,000 jobs and avoid nearly 7 million tons of CO2 emissions annually.

“We look forward to reviewing CEQ’s proposed Phase 2 rule soon and urge the Council to continue to reform its NEPA rules and guidance to facilitate the rapid development of renewable energy infrastructure. As recent IPCC reports and the Administration’s own clean energy goals make clear, we must act quickly to decarbonize the nation’s economy.”