Renewable energy projects face new permitting, regulatory oversight By EPN Staff Prospective solar, wind and battery storage projects would be subject to permitting and regulatory oversight by the Oklahoma Corporation Commission under a proposal making its way through the state legislature. Why it matters Although new oil and gas projects must get a permit, new solar, wind, and battery storage projects do not need state level approval. House Bill 2155 is an attempt to remedy that disparity. The bill would require any entity intending to build a solar, wind, or battery storage facility provide the Oklahoma Corporation Commission a description of the project and the operator’s contact information. The agency would be able to charge up to $40,000. The fee would be based on the size of the land in question or the capacity of the facility to generate power. The permit holder would have to notify the people within a half-mile radius of the prospective project at least 60 days before the company began work on the project. Rep. Mike Dobrinski, R-Okeene, the bill’s sponsor, said during the Utilities Committee hearing: “It’s not designed to keep any of these new projects from coming. It simply allows notification and public knowledge of them, we hope, in a quicker fashion, just so that everybody knows what’s going on in their neighborhoods, in their counties.” The bigger picture At present, wind facilities only need to get Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) approval for airspace. Renewable energy programs must apply to the Southwest Power Pool, the regional power grid. Because the application and approval process takes several years, companies have time to work with landowners. Nearby landowners, however, need not be informed at any point during the process. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, Oklahoma ranks third in the nation for the amount of electricity fueled by wind power. In fact, wind supplied 42% of the state’s electricity in 2022. Ninety-four percent of the state’s renewable energy is supplied by wind power. With 3,736 wind turbines, the American Wind Energy Association ranked Oklahoma number two for installed wind power capacity. Additional detail Initially the bill required permitting for distribution lines and transmission projects, too. But the sponsor removed the provision, as Southwest Power Pool and the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission already oversee such lines.
