U.S. House Democrats Offer Permitting Reform Proposal

While House Republicans have included important infrastructure permitting reform measures in their legislation to raise the statutory debt limit, House Democrats have introduced a standalone reform measure.

Last week, Sean Casten (D-Ill.) and Mike Levin (D-Calif.), unveiled a bill that will serve as a starting point for negotiations with House GOP leaders. The Democratic measure would:

• Give the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission greater authority to approve transmission lines;
• Bolster transmission between different regions of the country;
• Create community solar programs;
• Require the designation of “priority” areas for solar, wind, and geothermal energy on public lands;
• Declare that greenhouse gas emissions should factor into the wholesale costs of fossil-powered electricity; and
• Mandate steps to reach out to communities during the permitting process.

This proposal differs significantly from what House Republicans have offered.

The GOP plan would boost U.S. competitiveness by expanding fossil fuel production and exports and domestic mining and accelerate the approval process for energy and other infrastructure projects.

MSCI believes the U.S. permitting system is fundamentally broken and it is delaying the investments the country desperately needs. It should never take longer to get a permit than it does to build a project, which is what often happens now. As Connecting the Dots reported last month, MSCI signed onto letters with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce (USCC) and the National Association of Manufacturers supporting passage of the legislation.

The USCC also has launched a page where Americans can learn more about the importance of this legislation. View it here. The USCC also recently outlined how these permitting reforms could help the United States address climate change. Read more here.