Press Releases

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:  June 1, 2011

CONTACT: Stefani Zimmerman or Hannah Loy 202-225-2315

Congressman Gosar Highlights Bureaucratic Delays, Inconsistent Regulatory Requirements, and Environmental Lawsuits that Impede Renewable Energy Development and Job Creation on Public Lands in Arizona

Natural Resources Committee Hears from Wind and Solar Industry Experts

U.S. Congressman Paul Gosar, DDS (AZ-01) issued the following statement at a Full Committee oversight hearing on “American Energy Initiative: Indentifying Roadblocks to Wind and Solar Energy on Public Lands and Waters, Part II.”

“I would like to thank Chairman Hastings for holding today’s hearing on roadblocks to wind and solar energy development on public lands.  

The United States’ dependence on foreign oil is one of the gravest national security issues facing our country.  If we want to reduce its dependence on foreign oil, we must properly utilize all our resources right here in America.  This hearing is critical to exposing federal policies that are prohibiting the industry’s job creators from utilizing public lands and developing renewable energy infrastructure.  It is important that this Congress learns from today’s hearing exactly what agencies and policies are improperly stagnating our renewable energy development.

The State of Arizona has some of the most promising areas for solar and wind energy development in this country and perhaps in the world.  Many of the most suitable locations are found on the state’s public lands.  Arizona’s First Congressional District,which I serve, consists of almost seventy percent in public land; that includes around 2.6 million acres of Bureau of Land Management (BLM) land and 9.2 million acres of Forest Service land.  The federal government must partner with industry, small business, and state and local governments to ensure our public lands continue to be utilized for diverse purposes such as outdoor recreation, livestock grazing, mineral development, and energy production, while still protecting natural treasures. The mixed use of these lands is a fundamental aspect my state of and my district’s economic viability.

Arizona’s First Congressional District can be a model for energy-driven economic recovery in this country.  Rural Arizona is rich with natural resources that provide for sound extraction and contains a diverse climate that is conducive to all forms of energy generation including traditional fossil fuels, hydro-electric, solar, and wind power.  However, renewable energy development, like other resource use and energy sectors, are being plagued by excessive administrative costs, duplicative permitting, and lengthy and burdensome lawsuits filed by any or all environmentalist groups.  New generation pilot and developmental projects are simply not getting off the ground.  The government is requiring redundant, costly and unnecessary environmental reviews; making inconsistent permit approvals and denials; and in some cases, even completely halting the advancement of projects already underway.

For example, there are 32 pending applications for solar energy projects in the State of Arizona alone.  If all 32 of these projects were processed and approved today, Solar Energy Industries Association estimates that these projects could support nearly 100,000 new jobs within in the next five years. These projects would amount to over 18,630 megawatts of power.

The wind energy business is experiencing very similar struggles.  I have met with a wide variety of companies doing business in my state, whose projects are in regulatory limbo.  This includes an 85 megawatt project which would be the very first Native American majority-owned renewable energy project in the country.  The unstable regulatory environment is simply unacceptable given the opportunities we have in the state. 

Let me be clear, environmental protections are extremely important to me.  My district is home to some of the most frequently visited destination locations in the country, and contains an abundance of other hidden natural treasures.  But a careful balance between environmental protection and economic activity can be achieved.  Regulations need to be developed in a transparent and streamlined manner, and with consideration for the negative impacts they may impose on our communities and the economy. 

Currently, the federal government’s policies are having a disproportionately negative effect on rural communities like mine which depend on public lands for their livelihood and continued economic development.  At the same time, the federal government expects our communities to meet its obligations as stewards. 

I look forward to hearing from today’s witnesses, the industry people who deal with these policies on a day-to-day basis.  It is important that this committee continues to investigate examples in which the federal government is doing a disservice to communities like mine so that we can move forward, implement policies that remove unreasonable barriers to economic development and get people back to work.”  

Today’s hearing was the second in a series to identify roadblocks to wind and solar energy on public lands.  On May 13th, the Full Natural Resources Committee heard from Obama Administration representatives BLM Director Bob Abbey and BOEM Director Michael Bromwich.  Today, Members of Congress will hear testimony from representatives of the renewable energy industry who are struggling to fight through the red-tape that is hindering clean energy projects and slowing job creation.

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