DOE's NEPA regulations (10 CFR part 1021)
Office of NEPA Policy and Compliance
May 30, 2024
minute read time
The Department of Energy (DOE) has agency procedures (regulations; 10 CFR part 1021) to implement the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA; 42 U.S.C. 4332(2)) and the Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) regulations (40 CFR parts 1500-1508).
DOE’s NEPA regulations at 10 CFR part 1021 supplement, and are to be used in conjunction with, the CEQ regulations. It is DOE's policy to follow the letter and spirit of NEPA, comply fully with the CEQ regulations, and apply the NEPA review process early in the planning stages for DOE proposals.
These regulations undergo periodic review and revision. Most recently, effective May 30, 2024, DOE revised the categorical exclusions for solar photovoltaic systems and for upgrading and rebuilding transmission lines, and added a categorical exclusion for certain energy storage systems. More information is available here: DOE Categorical Exclusion Rulemaking (2024).
More information on the development of DOE’s NEPA regulations can be found here: DOE NEPA Program History.
The current version of 10 CFR part 1021 can be found in the electronic Code of Federal Regulations.
The annual edition of 10 CFR 1021 (PDF file below) is updated yearly on January 1. This PDF includes the regulations as of January 1, 2024 and does not yet include the May 30, 2024 changes: