A letter organized by the Solar Industry Association and signed by 143 solar companies has been submitted to the US Senate and House of Representatives in response to a memorandum from the Department of Interior (DOI) that effectively suspended all licenses for solar projects involving the department.

Federal agencies are implementing this directive in a manner that almost completely suspends permits for Interior Department involvement in any projects on federal and private land, regardless of their importance, "the letter reads. Businesses need certainty in order to continue investing in much-needed energy projects in the United States. Certainty must include a non discriminatory review process of energy sources. We urge Congress to place fairness and certainty at the center of licensing negotiations

The memorandum was released in July and involves federal permits for wind and solar energy projects to be carried out on locations that belong to or are adjacent to federal land or use federal resources. The memorandum states that all "decisions, actions, negotiations, and other initiatives" regarding wind and solar energy facilities must be submitted to the Executive Secretary and the Office of Regulatory Affairs, by review by the Office of the Deputy Secretary and final review by the Office of the Secretary, by 69 different licensing projects under DOI jurisdiction.

For the solar industry in the United States, licensing reform begins with licensing certainty, "said Abigail Ross Hopper, President and CEO of SEIA, in a statement. As 143 solar energy companies wrote in this letter to our congressional leaders, if action is not taken to address unequal treatment of solar energy, the industry will continue to face significant barriers to deployment and investment when energy demand surges. While the solar industry values continued bipartisan cooperation on licensing reform, the SPEED bill, as passed by the committee, fails to address this core issue: ongoing licensing moratoria. ”

SEIA released an analysis report in November estimating, based on data from the Energy Information Administration (EIA), that over 500 solar and energy storage projects with a total capacity of 116 gigawatts have been put on hold due to license changes from DOI.

To be clear, we certainly need reform permits, "Hopper said. An agreement must be reached, and SEIA and our 1200 member companies will continue our months long efforts to advocate for an agreement that ensures equal treatment for all energy sources, as the current state of lockdown is unsustainable.