Permitting reform will help lower emissions

As we sprint toward the end of the 118th Congress , there is one topic that cannot be overlooked: federal permitting reform.

House Committee on Natural Resources Chairman Bruce Westerman (R-AR) is at the forefront of developing bipartisan policies to modernize and streamline our nation’s outdated permitting processes, including the National Environmental Policy Act. This week, the committee hosted a legislative hearing highlighting several proposals that will do just that.

As the president of Citizens for Responsible Energy Solutions, I support innovative energy solutions that reduce emissions and meet global demand while increasing America’s competitive edge. To make these solutions a reality, we need federal permitting reform, and I was proud to testify at this week’s hearing to outline exactly why.

Permitting reform will help meet growing energy demands. By 2050, forecasts show both domestic and global energy demand and consumption rising. Permitting reform measures will help address many of the bottlenecks and uncertainty energy developers face and will enable a more predictable federal process to review, approve, and deploy new energy projects faster and at a greater scale. This allows the United States to continue to be a net energy exporter, providing emission reductions at home and abroad.

Permitting reform will enhance America’s economic competitiveness. The U.S. leads the world in clean energy innovation but lags in deployment, in part, due to a cumbersome permitting process. These inefficiencies delay projects, discourage investment, and increase costs through litigation risk. Streamlining the federal permitting system means lower energy costs for consumers, attracting new investments, maintaining current investments, and the timely completion of projects — all of which are crucial for maintaining a competitive edge.

Permitting reform will drive manufacturing dominance. The U.S. is more reliant than ever on foreign sources for the minerals and resources needed by our advanced manufacturing and clean technology sectors. Once again, the federal permitting process is working against our national interests, and our opportunity for a manufacturing resurgence and clean technology leadership is compromised by bureaucratic hurdles and meritless litigation.

Finally, and importantly, permitting reform supports environmental progress. Without question, the current permitting system is inconsistent with the environmental benefits of the advancement of clean energy. In fact, according to the American Clean Power Association , 100 gigawatts of domestic clean energy projects are at risk of significant delay due to permitting problems, which would result in an additional 550 million metric tons of carbon emissions in the atmosphere this decade.

Those who oppose modernizing NEPA and other permitting reforms because of the “risk to the environment” ignore the environmental risks and climate impacts of the delays inherent in the current system.

Simply put, every day that clean energy projects are delayed is a day we are not lowering emissions.

Fortunately, momentum on permitting reform is building. With recent Senate action and increased House engagement, there is an opportunity to enact bipartisan permitting reform. CRES was proud to support the Energy Permitting Reform Act, introduced by Sens. John Barrasso (R-WY) and Joe Manchin (I-WV) and approved in July by the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, and now we are pleased to support Westerman’s draft proposal, which represents a meaningful step toward updating the NEPA process.

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By reducing unnecessary delays, setting limits on frivolous litigation while ensuring access to the courts for those who meaningfully engage, clarifying what triggers a “major federal action,” and providing long-needed direction to agencies on what to study within impact analysis, we will unlock America's energy resources, provide critical certainty for clean energy projects across the country, and maintain our global leadership in emissions reduction.

I encourage the House and Senate to continue working toward enacting robust and bipartisan permitting reforms that will meet growing energy demands, increase American competitiveness, recapture American manufacturing dominance, and achieve the environmental progress we all desire.

Heather Reams is the president of Citizens for Responsible Energy Solutions.