Biden administration announces plans to speed up energy projects

Aug. 29 (UPI) -- The Biden administration on Thursday announced new efforts to speed up government infrastructure projects delivering more clean power and jobs.

The Bureau of Land Management said it will roll out a plan to support the expansion of solar energy production by streamlining permitting on public land.

"This action will help expedite reviews of solar projects by steering them to areas with high solar potential and low wildlife and land conflicts," the White House said in a statement. "The Bureau of Land Management will make over 31 million acres of public lands across eleven western states available for solar development, helping to deliver clean power to millions of homes."

The Environmental Protection Agency said it will conditionally approve a new rule allowing for new offsets to create clean air credits in Maricopa County, Ariz., the site of an upcoming semiconductor manufacturing center.

Companies there with diesel-burning vehicles can earn credits by replacing them with electric vehicles to balance out future emissions.

"This will allow the county, which is now a center of semiconductor manufacturing in the U.S., to continue to building semiconductor fabs essential to our nation's future and ensure that residents continue to have clean air," the White House said.

The Department of Energy said that environmental review timelines have been cut in half compared to the previous administration and has completed 15% more environmental reviews.