Opportunity Title:
USDA and DOE Listening Sessions
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) will host a series of listening sessions this winter. The agencies invite perspectives on the benefits and challenges of the rapidly increasing levels of clean energy being sited on agricultural lands and in rural communities. USDA and DOE seek feedback directly from a diverse set of stakeholders about what the agencies can do through their leadership, program guidance, or research and information sharing to:
inform USDA and DOE programs and community engagement
guide development of resources that address regional and local siting challenges, and
encourage positive clean energy siting outcomes that benefit farmers, rural Americans, the renewable energy industry and others.
State and local siting restrictions can prevent communities from accessing the benefits of clean energy deployment. These siting restrictions often arise out of concern over farmland loss, but the main driver of farmland loss is suburban expansion. There is no one-size-fits-all solution or best practice to siting renewable energy projects like wind and solar because each community that hosts a project is unique. DOE and USDA are interested in better understanding the impact of renewable energy development on these communities and public sentiment about these projects.
Register to participate in one of the stakeholder-specific listening sessions:
Government Permitting and Policy Representatives on January 12 | 10:30 a.m. – 12p.m. MDT.
Agricultural Producers on January 16 | 8 – 9:30 a.m. MDT.
All Stakeholders and Members Of The Public on January 16 | 12:30 – 2p.m. MDT.
Rural Electric Coops and Clean Energy Developers on January 17 | 1:00 – 2:30 p.m. MDT.
In addition to attending virtual listening sessions, visit the events webpage. Stakeholders are invited to submit written comments to SM.RD.CleanEnergySiting@usda.gov by January 20, 2024.
Grant Management Associates has years of experience with opportunities like this one. Contact us today for a consultation.
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