 Energy & Environment |
Energy & Environment |
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Permitting reform gets some momentum |
Efforts to speed up the buildout of infrastructure projects, including by limiting scrutiny of them, are gaining some steam in Congress. |
© AP Photo/Keith Srakocic, File |
The Standardizing Permitting and Expediting Economic Development (SPEED) Act advanced through the Natural Resources Committee last month and got some vocal backing on Thursday. The bill in question: - Restricts legal action against projects that were federally approved and requires courts to give agencies specific instructions on how to fix project approvals it finds insufficient
- Creates new exclusions for what is subject to environmental reviews. Projects will not be required to face environmental reviews simply because they get a federal grant or loan.
- Bars consideration in environmental reviews of factors that are separate in time or place from the project or action being reviewed.
On Thursday, a coalition of energy industry groups released a letter urging the passage of the legislation. "Weaknesses of the existing permitting process are preventing essential projects from advancing. Because major projects span multi-year reviews, they are particularly vulnerable to changes in political direction," they wrote. "The SPEED Act directly addresses these challenges and represents meaningful bipartisan progress toward a more stable and dependable permitting framework," they added. The legislation also picked up an endorsement from the Blue Dog Coalition, a group of moderate Democrats, this week. And while it looks to be on track for House passage, whether the Senate will reach some sort of permitting agreement – in line with the SPEED Act or otherwise – remains to be seen. |
Welcome to The Hill's Energy & Environment newsletter, I'm Rachel Frazin — keeping you up to speed on the policies impacting everything from oil and gas to new supply chains. |
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News we've flagged from other outlets touching on energy issues, the environment and other topics: |
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Two key stories on The Hill right now: |
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Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth asked the four-star Navy admiral overseeing the U.S. military's strikes against boats in the Caribbean to step down after the top officer voiced concerns about the "murky" legality of the attacks. Read more |
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You're all caught up. See you tomorrow! |
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