Interior Department to Approve Seven Renewable-Energy Projects

By IAN TALLEY
WASHINGTON -- The Department of the Interior expects to approve seven major, renewable-energy transmission projects on western federal lands by the end of next year, part of the administration's effort to step up use of wind and solar power.
Finding sites for new grid infrastructure has been a major obstacle to the Obama administration's plans to expand renewable-energy production. Many people and local governments oppose placing transmission projects, which help channel electricity generated by renewable-energy sources to consumers, in their backyards, citing environmental, safety and other concerns.
The Interior Department is accelerating the construction of transmission projects on federal lands in an effort to streamline the permitting process, through there are still state, local and other federal regulatory hurdles that companies have to overcome.
"For too long, our nation's electric-transmission policy has been disjointed, fragmented and frankly a low priority across federal agencies," Interior Secretary Ken Salazar said at a transmission conference on Wednesday.
The projects range from 150 kilovolt to 500 kilovolt lines in Idaho, California and Nevada, including the Barren Ridge, Devers Palo Verde, Hooper Springs, Hemingway Butte, Palisafes-Goshen, and Southwest Intertie projects.
Mr. Salazar said he anticipated the projects – among 30 applications the Bureau of Land Management is processing -- to get permits before the end of next year.
He said a cabinet-level working group on transmission would "very soon" make recommendations for a national, coordinated transmission policy. The group is represented by the Interior, Energy, and Agriculture departments and the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.
Write to Ian Talley at ian.talley@dowjones.com