II 

110TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. 3463 

To amend the Energy Policy Act of 2005 to establish pilot project offices 

to improve Federal permit coordination for renewable energy. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

SEPTEMBER 10, 2008 

Mr. TESTER (for himself and Mrs. FEINSTEIN) introduced the following bill; 

which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources 

A BILL 

To amend the Energy Policy Act of 2005 to establish pilot 

project offices to improve Federal permit coordination 

for renewable energy. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. PILOT PROJECT OFFICE TO IMPROVE FEDERAL 

4 PERMIT COORDINATION FOR RENEWABLE 

5 ENERGY. 

6 (a) IN GENERAL.—Section 365 of the Energy Policy 

7 Act of 2005 (42 U.S.C. 15924) is amended— 

8 (1) by redesignating subsection (j) as sub9 section (k); and 


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1 (2) by inserting after subsection (i) the fol2 lowing: 

3 ‘‘(j) PILOT PROJECT OFFICE TO IMPROVE FEDERAL

4 PERMIT COORDINATION FOR RENEWABLE ENERGY.— 

5 ‘‘(1) DEFINITION OF RENEWABLE ENERGY.—In 

6 this subsection, the term ‘renewable energy’ means 

7 energy derived from a wind, solar, renewable bio8 mass, ocean (including tidal, wave, current, and 

9 thermal), geothermal, or hydroelectric source. 

10 ‘‘(2) FIELD AND DISTRICT OFFICES.—As part 

11 of the Pilot Project, the Secretary shall designate 1 

12 field or district office of the Bureau of Land Man13 agement in each of the following States to serve as 

14 Renewable Energy Pilot Project Offices for coordi15 nation of Federal permits for renewable energy 

16 projects and transmission lines to integrate renew17 able energy: 

18 ‘‘(A) Arizona. 

19 ‘‘(B) California. 

20 ‘‘(C) New Mexico. 

21 ‘‘(D) Nevada. 

22 ‘‘(E) Montana. 

23 ‘‘(F) Wyoming. 

24 ‘‘(3) MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING.— 


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1 ‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 90 

2 days after the date of enactment of this sub3 paragraph, the Secretary shall enter into an 

4 amended memorandum of understanding under 

5 subsection (b) to provide for the inclusion of the 

6 additional Renewable Energy Pilot Project Of7 fices in the Pilot Project. 

8 ‘‘(B) SECRETARY OF ENERGY.—The Sec9 retary of Energy shall be a signatory of the 

10 amended memorandum of understanding. 

11 ‘‘(C) SIGNATURES BY GOVERNORS.—The 

12 Secretary may request that the Governors of 

13 each of the States described in paragraph (2) 

14 be signatories to the amended memorandum of 

15 understanding. 

16 ‘‘(4) DESIGNATION OF QUALIFIED STAFF.—Not 

17 later than 30 days after the date of the signing of 

18 the amended memorandum of understanding, all 

19 Federal signatory parties shall, if appropriate, as20 sign to each Renewable Energy Pilot Project Offices 

21 designated under paragraph (2) an employee de22 scribed in subsection (c) to carry out duties de23 scribed in that subsection. 


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1 ‘‘(5) ADDITIONAL PERSONNEL.—The Secretary 

2 shall assign to each Renewable Energy Pilot Project 

3 Office additional personnel under subsection (f).’’. 

4 (b) PERMIT PROCESSING IMPROVEMENT FUND.— 

5 Section 35(c)(3) of the Mineral Leasing Act (30 U.S.C. 

6 191(c)(3)) is amended— 

7 (1) by striking ‘‘use authorizations’’ and insert8 ing ‘‘and renewable energy use authorizations’’; and 

9 (2) by striking ‘‘section 365(d)’’ and inserting 

10 ‘‘subsections (d) and (j)(2) of section 365’’. 

Æ 


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