House passes permitting bill to ease Clean Water Act and boost pipelines

The GOP is looking to put their stamp on a bipartisan priority of easing permitting rules to build energy projects.

The GOP-led House passed a trio of bills Thursday aimed at speeding up permitting for energy projects and bolstering power grid reliability.

The bills, passed largely on partisan lines, are unlikely to be taken up by the Senate. But GOP lawmakers are looking to put their stamp on a bipartisan priority of lowering regulatory hurdles that several industries blame for hampering energy project development as power demand surges and electricity prices rise.

Most notably, the House voted 221-205 to approve the PERMIT Act, H.R. 3898, a sweeping package to ease Section 401 Clean Water Act permitting requirements to limit states’ authority to block infrastructure projects. Six Democrats voted for the bill.

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By:  Josh Siegel
Source: Politico Pro

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