NEPA assessments for large-scale renewable energy projects on Army land: Best practices and lessons learned

ABSTRACT Federal landholding agencies such as the Department of Defense (DoD) are actively seeking to diversify energy supplies and decrease fossil fuel reliance while increasing energy security and resilience. Within DoD, the Army’s Office of Energy Initiatives (OEI) works to achieve these goals by developing large-scale renewable and alternative energy projects on Army land through private sector financing. Proper implementation of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) ensures renewable energy projects have a net positive impact on environmental health and sustainability. The Army’s experience conducting NEPA assessments for these projects provides a unique perspective on the effectiveness of the NEPA process, including challenges, best practices, and lessons learned that apply broadly to NEPA practitioners. This article illustrates specific examples through descriptions of NEPA assessments for three OEI projects at various stages of completion.