NY Gov. Proposes Streamlined Transmission Review, Permitting
New York’s governor is proposing to streamline the transmission permitting process, which she calls a chokepoint that is slowing progress of the state’s clean energy transition.
The RAPID Act — Renewable Action through Project Interconnection and Deployment — would create a one-stop process for environmental review and permitting of major renewable energy and transmission facilities.
A single transmission project can take up to 24 months to permit, which is too slow, Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) said. To meet the goals of the state’s Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act, the need for environmental protection and community input must be balanced with rapid decision-making, she said.
The RAPID Act was one of 204 proposals Hochul offered Jan. 9 with her State of the State Address. She did not mention it during the address itself, which focused heavily on social programs and quality-of-life issues.
But it is on the table for the opening round of the intense spending and policy deliberations that will continue into spring at the Capitol.
NY Renews called for firmer action backed with heavy spending: “We applaud Governor Hochul for including parts of the NY HEAT Act in the State of the State policy agenda, ending the regressive policy where New Yorkers pay hundreds of millions of dollars to expand the state’s fracked gas pipelines. It’s time New York starts shifting our state’s energy infrastructure away from fossil fuels and toward the electric and thermal energy networks that we’ll need to power our homes, workplaces, and public buildings in the future. But we’ll need much more to protect the safety and survival of our families, communities, and environment for generations to come.”