Progressive Caucus puts marker on permitting reform

The group announced a new task force to promote clean energy.

March 24, 2023

The Congressional Progressive Caucus is elevating its efforts to promote the group's climate priorities, as Democrats are collectively grappling with how to navigate the debate over permitting reform.

Rep. Jared Huffman (D-Calif.) will lead a new CPC task force on “Accelerating Clean Energy,” which will undertake the development of a “blueprint” for how to implement provisions in the Inflation Reduction Act and the Infrastructure Investments and Jobs Act.

"The task force’s charge is to clearly understand the challenges of implementation of clean energy projects, to work with the Biden administration and external partners, and to develop recommendations for administrative and legislative reforms to permitting that will assist in more rapidly building new renewable energy projects online, upgrading and modernizing the electrical grid to enable to the United States to meet President Biden’s goals of reducing carbon emissions 80 percent by 2030," according to a description of the task force’s mandate.

Huffman, in a statement accompanying the announcement, said the task force would "examine the real factors that have held up clean energy projects, acknowledge recent executive actions and last year’s $1 billion investment in clean energy permit streamlining, and recommend additional strategies to expedite clean energy project completion."

He added, "We can meet our clean energy goals without sacrificing bedrock environmental laws, throwing disadvantaged communities under the bus, or passing Trojan Horse legislation to help the fossil fuel industry."

CPC Chair Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.) agreed.

"Progressives have always been clear: we were not opposed to permitting reforms itself, but rather to policies that are counterproductive to a clean energy future," she said her own statement, adding that the task force would be "dedicated to answering the urgent question of how we can speed up our transition to renewable energy without abandoning our climate goals."

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By:  Emma Dumain
Source: E&E Daily