Opinion: Cutting red tape to boost green energy in Indian Country

Monday, January 31, 2011  

"President Obama's second State of the Union address set forward a bipartisan framework aimed at unleashing a clean energy revolution in America. Touching on everything from solar and wind power (hooray!), to nuclear power, to "clean" coal (sigh), the president seemed to leave no stone unturned in his quest for actionable solutions.

But ironically, he did omit one major point of potential bipartisan cooperation -- one that could greatly accelerate our nation's transition to a clean energy economy. The Department of Energy estimates that wind power from tribal lands could satisfy 14 percent of total U.S. electricity demand, and the tribal solar resources could generate 4.5 times the total amount of energy needed to power the entire country.

Remarkably, however, as of today, only one commercial-scale renewable energy project operates in all of Indian country. This is because of the incredible amount of federal red tape choking off the green energy opportunities on tribal lands. Many tribes are eager to partner with private sector developers to build large-scale clean energy projects. Such enterprises could be profitable, while respecting tribal values of environmental stewardship. They could also help keep families together by providing good jobs on the reservations.

Unfortunately, many of these sorely-needed investments never come to fruition. A long-standing backlog of catch-22 requirements, crazy-making rules and outdated laws cause projects to stall in Indian country. Policy barriers slow development and make financing cost-ineffective. "

Get the Story:
Van Jones: Obama and GOP Should Cut Red Tape Blocking Tribe's Green Energy (The Huffington Post 1/31)