Washington, D.C. — Today, Elan Sykes, Director of PPI’s Energy and Climate Solutions Initiative, issued the following statement praising the introduction of new permitting reform legislation led by Senators Joe Manchin (I-W.Va.) and John Barrasso (R-Wyo.):
“The Energy Permitting Reform Act of 2024 is a major step forward in the necessary effort to speed up environmental reviews, federal permits, and electric transmission development. PPI thanks Senators Manchin and Barrasso for their efforts and calls upon Democrats to uphold the spirit of the 2022 Schumer-Manchin agreement to implement the Inflation Reduction Act alongside the permitting reforms needed to harness the IRA’s clean energy programs to the fullest.
“The clean energy transition requires the manufacture and installation of millions of new machines for generating, moving, and using clean power — without passing these reforms, America will not be able to deploy sufficient clean technology fast enough. While the bill also increases the frequency of oil, gas, and coal leasing, the reforms to renewable energy and storage permitting (especially for geothermal), the use of public lands, expansion of Categorical Exclusions, and especially changes to planning, paying, and permitting for new lines and technologies on the electricity grid will far outweigh any increases in fossil fuel production while keeping consumer costs low and maintaining public support for the energy transition.
“The same is true for the changes to LNG export permits, which should aid our allies and trading partners in transitioning from coal to gas while benefiting from the Biden administration’s methane mitigation policies. PPI also calls on state and local governments to match these reforms with parallel changes to their own planning and permitting authorities to ensure that all levels of government work together to unleash clean energy growth.”
The Progressive Policy Institute (PPI) is a catalyst for policy innovation and political reform based in Washington, D.C. Its mission is to create radically pragmatic ideas for moving America beyond ideological and partisan deadlock. Learn more about PPI by visiting progressivepolicy.org. Find an expert at PPI and follow us on Twitter.
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Media Contact: Ian O’Keefe — iokeefe@ppionline.org
