Siting, Permitting, and Procurement Analysis

NLR provides objective, data-driven analysis that helps energy decision makers understand siting constraints, permitting pathways, and procurement opportunities.

Deploying energy projects requires navigating a complex landscape of considerations including siting, permitting, and procurement. NLR supports this process with analytical tools, high-resolution data, and expert technical assistance that help energy planners accelerate energy infrastructure development and reduce costs.

Supporting Siting Decisions With High-Resolution Data

Energy siting determines where projects can be built based on resource quality, land availability, environmental constraints, infrastructure access, regulatory requirements, and more. NLR helps users evaluate these factors with high-resolution geospatial resource analysis data, scenario modeling, and decision-support tools. These resources empower users to calculate energy capacity, generation, and cost based on geospatial intersections with grid infrastructure and land-use characteristics. For more information, contact Galen Maclaurin.

Accelerating Energy Projects Through Streamlined Permitting

Permitting is a critical step in deploying energy infrastructure, but it can also introduce delays due to varying legal requirements, permitting processes, and overloaded interconnection queues. NLR conducts analysis and develops tools to streamline the permitting process and support fast, low-cost energy infrastructure development. By automating some of the most time-consuming steps, NLR helps energy projects advance with fewer delays and barriers. Explore NLR's solar-specific research on permitting, inspection, and interconnection timelines. For more information, contact Aaron Levine or Jeff Cook.

Supporting Strategic Energy Procurement Decisions

Energy procurement—the process of choosing and securing power supplies that best meet an organization's cost, reliability, and operational needs—is a key part of how states, utilities, and businesses plan for the future. Researchers conduct analysis to help decision makers understand their procurement options and broader market trends. NLR has tracked the voluntary power market since the 1990s, providing annual data for customers and utilities. The lab also develops tools that compare procurement strategies, evaluate trade-offs, and design portfolios that align with user goals. For more information, contact Jeff Cook.