Reported by Staff

PARK CITY - Participating in the Western Governors’ Association meeting here on Monday, Cabinet leaders in the Obama administration vowed to help Western states develop a strong system for delivering renewable energy.

The association and the administration signed an agreement aimed at promoting the sustainable development of renewable energy, while collaborating on a database for wildlife habitat and corridors that will help in the planning of large energy projects. The WGA also
approved the first phase of the Western Renewable Energy Zones report, which identifies the most promising areas for large-scale development of renewable energy with low probabilities of environmental harm.

Governors in The West have voiced increasing concern over grid limitations and slow-acting bureaucracies getting in the way of turning solar, wind and geothermal energy into electricity. Addressing their concern at the meeting, Interior Secretary Ken Salazar said, “It doesn’t do any good to generate energy if you can’t get it to market.” Salazar and Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack promised the governors that renewable energy will be a major priority of the Obama Administration and they will figure out ways to streamline permitting.

The Secretary also said Arizona, California, Nevada and Wyoming will get federal renewable energy planning offices to help make sure projects don’t get stalled.

Commenting on Phase 1 of the Western Renewable Energy Zones Report,  Utah Gov. and WGA Chairman, Jon Huntsman, Jr., said, “We set and achieved an aggressive goal of bringing together in less than one year a large number of stakeholders to identify areas that have the most promising renewable energy resources. Their efforts are an important first step in developing cost-attractive renewable energy resources across the West and the high voltage transmission that will ensure this electricity can be delivered to demand centers.”

Secretary of Energy Steven Chu joined the governors today to discuss the report’s findings and future work. “To harness the incredible renewable energy potential of the West, we need to know where that energy can be generated and how to move it to where people live,” Secretary Chu said. “The Department of Energy was proud to partner with the Western Governors’ Association on this study, which is a necessary step for creating a clean energy economy.”

The U.S. Departments of Interior and Agriculture and the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission were also involved in the initiative. Secretary of Interior Ken Salazar, Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack and FERC Chairman JonWellinghoff also participated in today’s discussion.

Participants in the WREZ process included renewable energy developers, tribal interests, utility planners, environmental groups and government policymakers. The WGA will continue to work with stakeholders during three future phases of the initiative.

The governors will partner with utilities and the Western Electricity Coordinating Council to evaluate transmission needs to move power from preferred renewable energy zones. They will work to improve the integration wildlife and environmental values in decisions on the development of generation and transmission associated with these renewable energy zones. Stakeholders have agreed to work with WGA to coordinate purchasing from the desirable renewable energy zones to demand centers and to coordinate interstate cooperation for renewable energy generation and transmission.