Legislation Aims to Eliminate Counterproductive Restrictions on Wind and Solar Development
House Democrats look to decouple renewable energy from oil and gas drilling on federal lands and waters
U.S. House Democrats today introduced legislation to promote renewable energy by eliminating unnecessary restrictions that tie wind and solar development to oil and gas drilling on federal lands and waters.
Legislation by Rep Sydney Kamlager-Dove (D-Calif.) would end restrictions included in last year’s Inflation Reduction Act tying onshore solar and wind approvals on federal lands to onshore oil and gas lease sales. Another bill by Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y) and Deborah Ross (D-N.C.), would end a similar IRA mandate for offshore drilling. Just last week, the Interior Department announced it would hold the first-ever offshore wind lease sale in the Gulf of Mexico. David Arkush, climate program director of Public Citizen, released the following statement:
“It never made sense to tie wind and solar development to oil and gas drilling, and this bill is right to end that perverse policy. The Inflation Reduction Act made historic investments to promote renewable energy, but it also included some harmful pro-fossil fuel measures, such as mandating certain amounts of oil and gas drilling on federal lands and waters.
“During a summer of devastating, record-breaking climate disasters around the globe, Congress must promote a rapid transition to renewable energy and decrease—not increase—fossil fuel production.”
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