Lee, Solar Leaders, and Advocates Discuss Her Bipartisan Legislation to Cut Solar Permitting Red Tape
Watch and Download Video of Press Conference
LAS VEGAS, NV – Today, at Sol-Up, Congresswoman Susie Lee (NV-03) joined Steve Hamile, Sol-Up Chief Operation Officer and Nevada Solar Association Chair, and Allison Pharr, solar homeowner and Solar United Neighbors Rural Organizing Associate, to discuss her Streamlining Home Installation of New Energies (SHINE) Act, which would make local permitting for residential solar and other home energy systems better, cheaper, and faster.
“Residential solar energy isn’t just an environmental boon—it’s an economic imperative. The SHINE Act will cut red tape and benefit Nevada homeowners and businesses alike” said Congresswoman Susie Lee. “Too often, outdated permitting processes create unnecessary delays and added costs for Nevadans looking to install rooftop solar. The SHINE Act is a bipartisan, common-sense solution to cut red tape and help homeowners access cleaner, cheaper energy faster.”
On average, Nevada homeowners with residential solar save approximately $1,500 on their annual utility bill. By cutting red tape and helping more homeowners install rooftop solar, this bill could help southern Nevadans save hundreds each year.
“For too long, families ready to invest in solar have had to face delays caused by outdated local permitting processes. The SHINE Act helps expand a standardized permitting process that will clear backlogs and empower local governments with the tools to speed up approvals, lower costs, and support Nevada’s clean-energy economy. This is a win-win for everyone involved. Local governments can save time and money, businesses can move faster, and homeowners get to enjoy clean energy sooner. Nevada has led before on solar innovation and this bill helps ensure we keep leading,” said Stephen Hamile, Chair of the Nevada Solar Association.
"For the rural communities I work with, the SHINE Act is a practical, common-sense solution. It cuts red tape, lowers upfront costs, and helps families take control of their energy future. Ultimately, it means paying less upfront for clean energy upgrades—and seeing the savings sooner," said Allison Pharr, solar homeowner and Solar United Neighbors Rural Organizing Associate.
The SHINE Act authorizes $20 million annually for four years to enable the Department of Energy to provide technical assistance, training, and adoption grants to state, local, and Tribal governments for the implementation of a streamlined permitting and inspection process for home-based distributed energy systems. The leading solution, called Solar Automated Permit Processing Plus (SolarAPP+), is a free, online permitting platform originally developed by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory to provide instant permits for code-compliant residential solar and battery storage systems.
Nevada leads the nation in solar power potential, ranks sixth in the nation in total solar capacity, and ranks fifth nationally in solar generation. Nationwide, permitting delays for rooftop solar and other residential energy systems are making this transition more costly and time-consuming for homeowners, businesses, and local governments alike. Of the more than 20,000 local permitting jurisdictions across the country, only about 400 have adopted automated permitting solutions to date.
The SHINE Act is endorsed by the Solar Energy Industries Association, Advanced Energy United, Permit Power, Solar United Neighbors Action, Sunrun, the Nevada Conservation League and national League of Conservation Voters, and the Nevada Solar Association.
As southern Nevada’s sole representative on the House Natural Resources Committee, Congresswoman Lee is doing everything possible to protect Nevada’s public lands and parks, combat climate change, and build a clean energy economy.
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