The Natural Resources Committee of the US House of Representatives has advanced a bill aimed at getting energy projects built faster.
The Standardizing Permitting and Expediting Economic Development (SPEED) Act would make key reforms to the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), the law governing much of the US federal permitting process for infrastructure projects, including offshore wind and onshore projects on federal land.
The bill will now go to the full House of Representatives for a vote.
The American Council for Renewable Energy praised the move.
CEO Ray Long said: “Durable, bipartisan permitting reforms that provide project certainty and speed up energy infrastructure build-out will help to keep the lights on and reduce electricity costs.”
“As a compromise is worked through, project-neutral permitting, removing roadblocks to fully permitted projects, and fully funding and staffing permitting agencies will go a long way to addressing our affordability and reliability challenges and improving America’s competitiveness.”
The bill has the support of stakeholders in the renewable energy industry, as well as in the oil and gas sector, and is opposed by environmental groups.