by Jbs101609 h3 — October 19, 2009—Further laying the groundwork for California to reach its environmental goals, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger on October 12 signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with U.S. Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar in order to expedite the siting of California renewable energy projects.
California is the first state to sign an MOU with the Department of the Interior (DOI) to cooperatively develop long-term renewable energy plans and to shepherd eligible projects through state and federal permitting processes that can receive 30 percent federal tax credits under the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act (Recovery Act).
The MOU commits the federal government to work with California on a science-based process for reviewing, approving, and permitting renewable energy applications in California, which will greatly help the state achieve its goal of reaching 33 percent renewable energy by 2020. The DOI and California Natural Resources Agency will develop detailed maps of the best areas for development and conservation, allowing for expedited project siting and habitat protection. The agreement also facilitates the identification of transmission corridors by December 2010 and includes the Department of Defense (DOD) in the process because some transmission lines may need to cross DOD lands.
In addition to a broad commitment to work together, the parties of the MOU also agree to expedite projects that are on track to break ground by the end of 2010 and become eligible for more than $15 billion in Recovery Act funding. The Recovery Act specifically directs economic stimulus funding to qualified projects that begin construction by December 1, 2010. At the direction of the MOU, the Renewable Energy Policy Group will review a list of projects to be identified for this stimulus funding that, if constructed, could add up to over 7,000 megawatts of new wind, solar and geothermal energy in California.
