Ciscomani Joins Bipartisan Bill to Streamline Residential Access to Solar Energy Systems

WASHINGTON – U.S. Representative Juan Ciscomani (R-AZ-06) joined a bicameral group of his colleagues in introducing legislation to streamline residential solar project permits. In August, Arizona was named one of the top five states for generating solar power.

The Streamlining Home Installations of New Energies (SHINE) Act (H.R. 5997) directs the Department of Energy (DOE) to work with state and local governments to encourage and facilitate adoption of SolarAPP+ – an online tool developed by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory – which automates permitting and approvals of residential renewable energy systems. Ciscomani introduced the bill with his colleagues, Reps. Susie Lee (D-NV-03) and Congressman Paul Tonko (D-NY-20). Full text of the bill is available here. 

“With an average 300 days of sunshine per year in our state, Arizonans deserve reliable and affordable access to solar energy,” said Ciscomani. “The SHINE Act works to cut bureaucratic red tape and streamline the permitting process for homeowners seeking to adopt solar energy systems, encouraging the use of this abundant, sustainable energy source.”

 “As one of the top ten states for solar in the nation, the clean energy transition is already well underway in Nevada. But permitting delays for rooftop solar and other residential energy systems are making this transition more costly and more time-consuming for homeowners, businesses, and local governments alike,” said Lee. “The SHINE Act is a launchpad for a proven permitting approach that will cut delays, save homeowners money, boost our small businesses, and maximize government efficiency — all at minimal expense to the taxpayer. That’s what I call a bipartisan no-brainer.” 

“Rooftop solar and other distributed energy resources present tremendous opportunities to build a more sustainable future; however, permitting barriers exist that add unnecessary costs and delays for homeowners,” said Tonko. “I am proud to support the SHINE Act to build upon DOE’s proven efforts to break down these barriers to ensure more efficient, cost-effective solar deployment. I look forward to working with my colleagues to advance this bipartisan, commonsense legislation.”

U.S. Senators Martin Heinrich (D-NM), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), Mark Kelly (D-AZ), Alex Padilla (D-CA) and Ron Wyden (D-OR) introduced companion legislation in the Senate. The bill is supported by Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA); Advanced Energy United (AEU); GRID Alternatives; Solar United Neighbors Action; Vote Solar; Sunrun; Freedom Forever; GoodLeap; Sunnova; SunPower; Mosaic; Summit Energy; TriSMART Solar; and 1Solar.

“SolarAPP+ has been an effective tool for the City of Tucson and Pima County to promote solar installation in our region,” said Carla Blackwell, the Development Services Director for Pima County, AZ. “It ushered in same day permitting for the solar industry and saves our plan review staff time to spend on other projects.  We hope other jurisdictions will share our success by adopting SolarAPP+ and applaud the legislative efforts to give critical assistance to expand this program.”