A new bill aimed at expediting the permitting process for renewable energy projects has been introduced in the U.S. Senate. Senators Joe Manchin (I-WV) and John Barrasso (R-WY), Chairman and Ranking Member of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, have unveiled the Energy Permitting Reform Act of 2024.
This bipartisan legislation seeks to enhance American energy security by accelerating the permitting process for critical energy and mineral projects across the United States. “The United States of America is blessed with abundant natural resources that have powered our nation to greatness and allow us to help our friends and allies around the world,” said Manchin. “Unfortunately, today our outdated permitting system is stifling our economic growth, geopolitical strength, and ability to reduce emissions. After over a year of holding hearings in the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, thoughtfully considering input from our colleagues on both sides of the aisle, and engaging in good faith negotiations, Ranking Member Barrasso and I have put together a commonsense, bipartisan piece of legislation that will speed up permitting and provide more certainty for all types of energy and mineral projects without bypassing important protections for our environment and impacted communities.”
Jason Grumet, CEO of the American Clean Power Association (ACP), praised the bill, stating, “The Energy Permitting Reform Act will help our nation meet the growing demand for electricity, deploy transmission lines to deliver clean, reliable power, and strengthen American energy security. ACP has long advocated for comprehensive permitting reform. We applaud Senators Manchin and Barrasso for their steadfast leadership and look forward to moving this measure across the finish line—our nation's energy future depends on it.”
Ray Long, President and CEO of the American Council on Renewable Energy (ACORE), also welcomed the legislation, noting, “America's burdensome permitting process has for years held back clean energy and transmission projects that are vital to our nation's electricity future. Virtually no interregional transmission lines have been built in the last decade despite their critical importance to grid reliability. We applaud Senators Joe Manchin and John Barrasso for releasing the Energy Permitting Reform Act of 2024, which will help reduce the permitting timelines for clean energy projects and accelerate interstate transmission in the U.S. The legislation also notably directs FERC to establish an interregional transmission planning process which ACORE has long championed.”
