31 Jul 2024 BPC Action Urges a YES Vote on the Energy Permitting Reform Act of 2024  in Energy and Environment

BPC Action commends Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee Chairman Joe Manchin (I-WV) and Ranking Member John Barrasso (R-WY) for their bipartisan collaboration on the Energy Permitting Reform Act of 2024. We urge the committee to vote yes to move this bill forward at today’s Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee markup.  

This bipartisan agreement presents a crucial opportunity to pass reforms that accelerate and streamline the permitting process for energy and mining projects, which is vital for the U.S. to ensure affordable, reliable energy while reducing emissions. Many provisions in this bill align with policy options discussed in BPC’s report, Finding the Goldilocks Zone for Permitting Reform, which identifies impactful permit reform policies capable of garnering bipartisan support.  A short overview of the Energy Permitting Reform Act can be viewed in this BPC explainer. 

Key Provisions of the Energy Permitting Reform Act of 2024:

1. Include judicial review provisions that modestly increase timeline certainty for energy and mineral projects; 

2. Clarify and require the Department of Interior to hold onshore and offshore lease sales for oil, natural gas, and offshore wind;

3. Increase renewable energy goals for permitting renewable projects on federal land;

4. Direct the Secretary of Interior and Secretary of Agriculture to expand the use of categorical exclusions for renewable project development on federal land;

5. Direct the Secretary of Interior to improve the permitting process for the development of geothermal energy that is carbon free and runs 24/7;

6. Establish a process for interregional transmission planning that encourages collaboration and is consistent with the beneficiary-pays principle;   

7. Eliminate the need for two NEPA studies for interregional transmission that is in the public interest, providing FERC authority to issue a construction permit AFTER allowing state siting authorities one-year to act on a permit application; 

8. Address the Rosemont decision by providing much-needed certainty that mineral projects can reasonably use federal land for mine support activities through permitted “mill sites;” and

9. Require a yes or no decision within 90 days after the completion of an environmental review for LNG exports.  

This bill marks a critical step to improve the permitting process while simultaneously increasing efficiency, protecting the environment, and strengthening national security.

It is for these reasons that we urge the committee to vote YES to move the Energy Permitting Reform Act of 2024 forward and stand committed to building bipartisan support to get a balance bill signed onto law this Congress.