The Federal Government should Encourage Early Public, Regulatory, and Industry Cooperation in Siting Energy Facilities

摘要

Efforts to expand domestic production of coal, synthetic fuels, and other energy sources have fallen behind expectations. One reason has been the inability to effectively identify acceptable sites for energy facilities--reconciling the conflicts between the need for domestic energy development, and the need to protect the environment and the public's voice in decision making. Recent experience shows, however, that early and active involvement by regulatory agencies and the public in finding sites for new energy facilities can prevent or alleviate costly, last-minute conflicts industry frequently encounters in choosing sites on its own. In this report, GAO discusses this promising 'open site planning' concept, analyzes why it is not used more frequently, and recommends actions the Federal Government can take to encourage its use. (Author)