The clean energy revolution is ready. We just need to cut some red tape. ✂️
America needs to build and connect clean energy projects faster.
Clean energy permitting reform is critical to meeting our climate targets.
Every big energy project needs permits. More than 95% of new energy projects currently awaiting permits are for clean energy like solar, wind, and battery storage.
Permits are important to protect communities, workers, and natural environments, but they also add time and expense. Let’s reform our federal permitting process so America can build and connect new energy projects quickly and safely.
If we reform our permitting process and build clean energy infrastructure faster, we will secure about half of the potential climate pollution cuts promised by the Inflation Reduction Act passed in 2022.
Join Citizens’ Climate Lobby to advocate for permitting reform that drives down carbon pollution and protects the health and safety of American people and communities.
Why do we need clean energy permitting reform?
1. Cut air pollution
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 benefits of that policy, preventing thousands more premature deaths.
2. Meet our climate goals
Permitting reform is critical if we’re going to make the clean energy transition happen fast enough to meet our climate targets. If we reform our permitting process and build clean energy infrastructure faster, we will secure about half of the potential climate pollution cuts promised by the Inflation Reduction Act passed in 2022. But without it, America will be far off track from our climate goals.
3. Transition to clean energy faster
Currently, it takes an average of 4.5 years for federal agencies to complete environmental impact statements for major energy projects. And in the past decade, the U.S. has expanded our electricity transmission infrastructure just 1% per year. Why so little? Well, right now, it takes over a decade on average to build a new transmission line — but we need to triple our current capacity to transmit clean electricity by 2050. We should speed up these timelines without approving or rubber-stamping harmful projects.
It’s important to note that clean energy permitting reform will benefit clean energy projects more than fossil fuel projects. Reports from the U.S. Energy Information Administration find that in each of the past three years, 84% of new energy capacity was clean energy. More than 95% of new energy projects currently awaiting permits are for clean energy like solar, wind, and battery storage.
Policies we support
An improved permitting process should 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. While it is impossible to build more clean energy projects without impact, new projects should safeguard the lives and health of people living near them.
CCL advocates for good permitting reform that maximizes benefits for the climate and protects health and safety in American communities. To achieve those goals, we are interested in policies that:
- 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.
Want to see clean energy permitting reform policies implemented in the U.S.? Us too. Join up and let’s make it happen.
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