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Subcommittee hears dueling views on Colocation Energy Act, proponents cite 406 GW potential
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Summary
Witnesses and sponsors told the House subcommittee the Colocation Energy Act (HR 5639) could rapidly expand renewables on already‑disturbed federal leases, while the BLM said the department already has authorities to approve co‑located projects and called the bill unnecessary.
The House Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources on March 29 heard competing views on HR 5639, the Colocation Energy Act, a bill its sponsors say would fast‑track permitting for solar and wind projects on existing oil, gas, coal and geothermal leases.
Adam Met, executive director of Planet Reimagined, told the subcommittee that co‑locating renewables on already‑developed lease sites is practical and low‑impact. “If fully implemented across the West, these sites can generate an additional 406 gigawatts of energy,” Met said, adding that those projects could power “the equivalent of 101,500,000 homes” across roughly 2,300,000 buildable acres. He said the bill would create a clearer, more transparent permitting pathway and allow categorical exclusions in cases where prior environmental analysis exists.
Representative John Kennedy, sponsor of the colocation bill, said the measure would provide certainty for communities and operators while preserving leaseholders’ rights: sponsors’ language requires the consent of existing leaseholders before new co‑located development moves forward, he said.
But Mitchell Everett, Eastern States director for the Bureau of Land Management, told the panel the department already has authority to authorize overlapping uses on federal lands and that HR 5639 is “unnecessary.” Everett said the BLM can ‘‘approve new uses that are compatible with existing authorized uses’’ and recommended technical modifications if Congress proceeds.
The hearing highlighted differences over implementation: supporters emphasized streamlined, case‑by‑case review and use of existing environmental data to speed approvals; opponents warned that codifying new pathways could create loopholes that weaken site‑specific analysis and public input. Representative Lee, a cosponsor, said equal treatment of all energy sources and clearer administrative rules at the Department of the Interior are essential for the bill to work in practice.
The subcommittee did not take a vote on HR 5639; members asked the witnesses to provide follow‑up information for the record and the hearing record was left open for additional submissions.
The committee is holding the record open for 10 business days for additional materials and written responses from witnesses.
