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Clean Energy Permitting Reform

Let’s Reform America’s Clean Energy
Permitting Process

We need to speed up the pace at which we build and connect new clean energy projects ⚡️

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The Benefits of Clean Energy Permitting Reform

✅ Build clean energy faster

‘Permitting’ is a term that means an official authorization to build something, including big energy projects. Permitting rules are important to protect communities, workers, and natural environments from undue harm. However, they necessarily add time and expense to projects of all kinds.

To meet our climate targets, we must build clean energy faster. Permitting reform will speed up our ability to build and connect new energy projects, getting good projects up and running quickly, while protecting vulnerable communities.

✅ Necessary to meet America’s climate goals

America has an abundance of clean energy resources, but we need to expand infrastructure, such as the electric transmission grid, to take full advantage of those resources. Right now it takes over a decade on average to build a new transmission line in the U.S., and it takes an average of 4.5 years for federal agencies to complete NEPA environmental impact statements that are needed to permit some major energy projects.

 

Permitting reform is critical if we’re going to make the clean energy transition happen fast enough to meet our climate targets. If we don’t start building clean energy infrastructure faster, most of the potential climate pollution cuts from the Inflation Reduction Act won’t be achievable.

✅ Allows for community input

Any proposed permitting reform legislation should protect the health and safety of American people and communities first. An improved permitting process would allow local communities to give real input on energy projects, and choose good projects over bad ones. Good projects should be approved faster, and harmful projects should be rejected faster.

✅ Improves air quality in disadvantaged communities

In frontline communities, lives are already being lost due to pollution from fossil fuels. Climate policy already in place (specifically, the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022) could prevent up to 180,000 premature American deaths and reduce incidences of asthma and lung disease over the next decade by reducing air pollution. Permitting reform will allow us to fully realize the potential emissions cuts from that policy. That means preventing thousands more premature deaths, mostly in disadvantaged communities near sources of pollution.

Clean Energy Permitting Reform 101: What is permitting reform?

Just like you need a building permit to expand your home, big energy projects must get written approval from local, state, and/or federal authorities to start construction. Permitting is important, but it adds hefty time and expense to projects of all kinds. Permitting reform is critical if we’re going to make the clean energy transition happen fast enough to meet our climate targets.

There are three key parts to successful energy permitting reform:

1. Siting/building clean energy projects

Right now, it takes an average of 4.5 years for federal agencies just to complete environmental impact statements for major energy projects. These are important assessments, but we need them to move faster and speed up the pace with which we build new clean energy projects.

 

2. Transmitting that clean energy across the country

In the past decade, the U.S. has expanded our electricity transmission infrastructure at a pace of just 1% per year. We’ve got to speed up the pace with which we build and connect new transmission lines. Ultimately, we need to triple our current capacity to transmit clean electricity by 2050.

 

3. Involving local communities

Better permitting allows local communities to give their input on energy projects early in the process and choose good projects over bad ones. Good projects should be approved faster, harmful projects should be rejected faster, and all new projects should safeguard the lives and health of people living nearby.

 

Learn more about clean energy permitting reform:

Energy Permitting Reform FAQ

What are the ethics of permitting reform?

Permitting reform will make it easier to build clean energy infrastructure, and get that clean energy to American households and businesses. Local communities must be able to have input into projects that will directly impact them. 

 

Will permitting reform increase fossil fuel production?

Most of the new infrastructure proposed in the U.S. is now for clean energy. Reports from Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory find that in 2021, 85% of new energy capacity was clean energy. More than 92% of new energy projects currently awaiting permits are solar and wind, and just 7.5% are natural gas. While a few new fossil fuel projects will be expedited, the vast majority of energy development projects will be much-needed investments in clean energy.

 

What has Congress done on permitting reform so far?

Congress passed a debt ceiling deal (a.k.a. the Fiscal Responsibility Act) in May 2023 which did include some measures to help streamline clean energy permitting, including:

 

  • Designates a lead agency when multiple federal agencies are involved in the permitting of an energy project.
  • All agencies would work together on a single environmental review document rather than each agency creating duplicative work.
  • Sets time and page limits on environmental assessments and impact statements (1 and 2 years, respectively). Federal agencies will be allowed to extend the deadlines in coordination with project applicants if necessary.
  • Allows project applicants to choose to write environmental documents themselves and have agencies review them and take responsibility for their accuracy

 

Basically, it made the NEPA permitting process more efficient, speeding up the approval of new clean energy projects. But that’s only one part of the process. We still need to boost transmission projects and improve early community involvement.

 

In the 118th Congress (2023-2024), permitting reform discussions ramped up. With support from CCL and a broad coalition of climate and clean energy leaders, a bipartisan bill called the Energy Permitting Reform Act of 2024 came very close to crossing the finish line. This bill included key provisions from the BIG WIRES Act, a 2023 bill directly addressing the issue of energy transmission, which CCL also supported.

 

In the 119th Congress (2024-2025), CCL will continue to advocate for the clean energy permitting reforms necessary to speed up clean energy deployment and meet our climate targets. To see what specific legislation CCL supports and is currently advocating for, visit our Accomplishments page.

What provisions do we want to see in a new permitting reform package?

Good permitting reform doesn’t just speed up new clean energy projects. We still need to bump up our capacity to transmit clean energy and improve early community input on these projects.

 

In recent years, the nation has only expanded its electricity transmission capabilities at a rate of 1% annually; well below the 2% rate seen in prior decades. Building a new electrical transmission line, on average, takes over a decade. If construction of energy infrastructure continues at this pace, we will not be able to lower our emissions at the speed and scale necessary and ensure Americans have affordable and reliable energy in the 21st century.

 

Additionally, clean energy isn’t a tradeoff. Any new projects should safeguard the lives and health of people living near them and should prioritize feedback from local communities early on in the permitting process.

 

How will permitting reform impact frontline communities?

Permitting reform should be done in a way that minimizes the negative health impacts from air pollution and other pollution in frontline communities, where lives are already being lost due to pollution from fossil fuels. Moving to clean energy will provide major health benefits for communities impacted by air pollution today. 

 

How will permitting reform affect my community?

If an energy development project is proposed in your community, you should know about it and be given the opportunity to respond in a streamlined process. Permitting reform should be done in a way that empowers communities to weigh in on what projects happen in their area. 

If you live in a rural area, permitting reform may boost jobs in your neighborhood. New clean energy projects rely on building new long distance transmission lines (a process which currently takes 10 years on average). Wind and solar farms will be built in rural areas that have abundant sun and wind. These projects will bring economic benefits and jobs to those rural areas.

 

What kind of permitting reform policies does CCL support?

We support permitting reform policies that:

 

  • Add to America’s capacity to transmit clean electricity
  • Speed up the approval of clean energy projects that are waiting to be built
  • Allow communities to make their voices heard on the environmental and other impacts of proposed energy projects.

 

To see what specific legislation CCL supports and is currently advocating for, visit our Accomplishments page.