In response to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) finalizing their highly anticipated Interconnection Rule, Evergreen Action Power Sector Senior Policy Lead Charles Harper released the following statement:

“We can’t meet our climate and clean energy goals unless clean energy projects can come online, and today FERC took decisive action to help accelerate thousands of clean energy projects that have been stalled in years-long interconnection queues. Today’s final interconnection rule will help bring desperately needed clean energy to the grid faster to meet rising demand, boost reliability, and combat fossil fuel price volatility.

“The interconnection backlog is a major hurdle to a thriving clean energy economy. Right now, new clean energy projects take an average of more than three and a half years to get through the queue, and only a fraction of proposed generators ultimately make it to the grid. We are pleased to see that the new rule includes strict deadlines and penalties for utilities that fail to meet them. As Chairman Phillips recognized today, there is much more to do to plan and build a robust transmission system that can accommodate the influx of new power coming online. We encourage FERC to build on today’s progress with urgency. In the race against climate change, we can’t afford any more unnecessary delays.”

Earlier this year, Evergreen and NRDC called on FERC to finalize a new interconnection rule in Powering Toward 100% Clean Power by 2035. It’s clear that major grid upgrades and significant transmission reform will be necessary to achieve President Biden’s climate and clean energy target, and an updated interconnection rule can help bring more solar, wind, and battery storage online by requiring a “first-ready, first-served cluster study process” that groups projects together and prioritizes those closest to commercial operation. You can read more about FERC’s role in America’s clean energy transition here.

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