Rosen Co-Sponsors Bipartisan Public Land Renewable Energy Development Act

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Jacky Rosen (D-NV) announced her co-sponsorship of the Public Land Renewable Energy Development Act of 2019 (S. 2666), bipartisan legislation that would promote the development of renewable energy on public lands.

“Nevada’s public lands are a source of pride and natural beauty in our state, but they also represent a potential home for clean, renewable power that will benefit Nevada and our country,” said Senator Rosen. “At a time when we’re facing the real, dangerous effects of climate change, we must find policy solutions to embrace clean energy alternatives to curb harmful carbon emissions. This bipartisan legislation would help to identify and advance additional renewable energy projects in wind, solar, and geothermal on federal lands, which make up nearly 80 percent of our state. I will continue to support forward-thinking policies that put us on a pathway towards a clean energy future.”

BACKGROUND: The Public Land Renewable Energy Development Act of 2019 would require the Department of the Interior to identify priority areas for renewable energy projects to ensure impacts to wildlife and cultural resources are avoided or minimized. This bipartisan bill would also create a Renewable Energy Coordination Office to streamline the permitting process for renewable energy development. Additionally, a portion of the revenue collected from project bonus bids, rentals, fees, or other payments would go to the local communities and state in which the project is located and towards improving public access to public lands for recreational uses.

Rosen is also an original co-sponsor of the Renewable Energy Extension Act, legislation that would extend clean energy tax incentives set to expire at the end of 2019, and the Renewable Electricity Standard (RES) Act. This legislation, introduced by Senator Tom Udall (D-NM), would set a federal standard to for renewable electricity generation, requiring states to obtain at least 50% of their electricity from renewables by 2035.

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