Witnesses warn Interior review, interconnection delays could raise electricity prices and slow new generation

A congressional committee hearing on federal energy permitting on Oct. 5 heard testimony that a recent Department of the Interior memorandum requiring additional review of wind and solar projects on federal lands is adding regulatory delay that could reduce near‑term supply and raise electricity prices.

The hearing focused on how permitting and interconnection bottlenecks affect the pace at which new generation and transmission come online. "Vantage is relatively agnostic as to the source of those electrons," a Vantage representative testified. "So in the case of rulemaking or regulatory action that slows down the process of approving new generation or new transmission, would definitely be a negative for our business." The committee member who opened questioning, Mister Tinch, asked witnesses to describe business and consumer impacts.

The panel agreed that delays in permitting and interconnection queues reduce supply and put upward pressure on wholesale power prices, which state public…