[image-caption title="With%20encouragement%20from%20NRECA%2C%20the%20Rural%20Utilities%20Service%20will%20start%20a%20new%20process%20soon%20to%20speed%20reviews%20of%20clean%20energy%20projects%20receiving%20RUS%20funding.%20(Photo%20Courtesy%3A%20Trico%20Electric%20Cooperative)" description="%20" image="%2Fnews%2FPublishingImages%2Frus-environmentalreview.jpg" /]
In a move that could speed development of advanced energy facilities, the U.S. Agriculture Department's Rural Utilities Service will launch a new process in November to streamline review of projects receiving RUS funding.
The changes, which came after months of advocacy from NRECA, are aimed at cutting project review times as RUS distributes billions of dollars in support for rural clean energy projects provided by the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022.
“It's a big undertaking that is long overdue, and RUS has been diligently working on this effort," NRECA Regulatory Affairs Director Luke Theriot said. “We will continue to communicate with RUS and our members to help ease any growing pains along the way to a promising new efficient process."
Starting Nov. 1, the RUS's Environmental and Historic Preservation Division (EHPD) will begin a new intake process for project reviews. The process will require all project applications to be emailed to a single USDA email address, SM.RD.RUS.EHPD.Intake@usda.gov, where RUS staff will decide if an application is materially complete.
Applicants will be notified at each stage of the review process, reflecting a customer service-oriented approach.
In addition, the EHPD is adding new staff and assigning reviews on a regional rather than state basis, with the aim of decreasing review times. However, staff may be assigned to work outside their designated region to accommodate the ebb and flow of workload to keep projects from stalling.
The new intake process and expanded staffing are expected to put EHPD on track to complete 906 project reviews in fiscal year 2025, or about 18.5 per week, up from 637 reviews (12.3 per week) in fiscal year 2024, according to a presentation by EHPD Director Joe Ranson.
NRECA has encouraged RUS to streamline the review process to help with backlog of existing reviews, but also to allow co-ops to develop new and innovative energy projects more quickly.
USDA is overseeing the $9.7 billion Empowering Rural America and $1 billion Powering Affordable Clean Energy programs. Both New ERA and PACE were created through the IRA to fund a range of innovative energy solutions, including renewable resources, energy storage, carbon capture and energy efficiency upgrades.
