Multiple energy reports all underscore the same finding: The U.S. is going to need more affordable electric power to supply data centers, manufacturing and homes around the country. A lot more of it.

Our country’s vast supplies of wind and solar resources are ready to be tapped to support that demand – from vast windy plains in the Midwest to sun-soaked areas in the Southwest. And these clean energy sources paired with battery storage are cost-effective too. Electricity from wind and solar costs less than electricity from gas and coal. But too often, wind and solar projects get delayed by complex permitting processes that take around four to eight years to complete. Those slow timelines cannot keep pace with America’s growing electricity demands.

The Energy Co-Location Act, introduced by U.S. Senators John Curtis and John Hickenlooper, offers a bright spot for bipartisan energy progress. The bill will bring more reliable and affordable power on the grid faster, by unlocking the potential for renewable energy on federal lands already used for energy purposes.

Here’s what you need to know.

Unlocking renewable power on federal lands

About 28% of all land in the U.S. is federally owned and some of this land is already used for energy purposes. The Energy Co-Location Act directs the Department of Interior (DOI) to allow renewable energy projects to be built on federal lands leased for oil, gas, coal and geothermal energy (with the consent of the lease holder).

By opening up federal lands already used for energy production, the bill offers a more streamlined way for clean energy developers to evaluate and build new projects. 

Responsibly speeding up the permitting process

Wind and solar projects can take around four years just to advance from the first permitting milestone to the last one. The bill could expedite this process on federal lands by directing DOI to analyze whether projects may qualify for what’s called a “categorical exclusion under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA).” This means that, if qualified, projects may avoid certain environmental assessments or impact statements.

NEPA protects the environment and those communities that neighbor energy development. It is only through appropriate community engagement and assessment that projects can be done with necessary input and guardrails, but the bill’s narrow focus on development in already disturbed landscapes creates a unique opportunity to expedite review processes and spur clean energy development where appropriate.

Taken together, this legislation overcomes major hurdles that stymie the speed and scale of clean energy build-out.

The Energy Co-Location Act will help meet our nation’s growing electricity demand with clean, abundant and affordable power. And it does so in a commonsense way – by making practical use of federal lands with existing energy development.

This is the kind of bipartisan energy solution we want to see in Congress.