Would solar installations on a rooftop require an environmental assessment (EA) or environmental impact statement (EIS)? What about solar installations on the ground?
Absent extraordinary circumstances, solar installations on existing rooftops and parking shade structures normally would not require an EA or an EIS. Small installations on the ground within the boundaries of existing facilities may not require an EA or EIS, but reference the new guidance for further information. • If a State conducts a program for utility incentives for solar thermal and photovoltaic installations and combined heat and power, would the utilities be required to submit a NEPA questionnaire to DOE for each incentive that is awarded? Such programs might entirely fit within a categorical exclusion if there are appropriate limits on the size of the incentives and the size of the equipment installed, and there are no extraordinary circumstances. For example, paying an incentive of 100% of the cost of a system is not an incentive, it is a grant. Grant programs are acceptable, but the level of NEPA review could be different. Incentive programs often pay no more than 10%–25% of
Related Questions
- Would solar installations on a rooftop require an environmental assessment (EA) or environmental impact statement (EIS)? What about solar installations on the ground?
- How is an Environmental Assessment (EA) or an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) related to a Health Impact Assessment (HIA)?
- Where, and how can I review an Environmental Assessment (EA) or Environmental Impact Statement (EIS)?
