Back

August 4, 2024

Senate Committee Advances Bipartisan Permitting Legislation

The U.S. Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee advanced a bipartisan bill intended to speed up the permitting process for new energy projects mid-last week. The committee vote was 15-4, a margin that shows strong support among both Republicans and Democrats for this initiative.

As Connecting the Dots reported last week, the Energy Permitting Reform Act of 2024, introduced by Sens. Joe Manchin (I-W.Va.) and John Barrasso (R-Wy.), would:

  • Institute a 150-day statute of limitations for lawsuits opposing energy projects and mandate expedited court review of legal challenges;
  • Ensure the federal government conduct at least one offshore oil and gas sale and one wind sale annually from 2025 to 2029, with minimum acreage requirements;
  • Double production targets for permitting renewable energy projects on federal lands, to 50 gigawatts; and
  • Protect grid reliability by requiring the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission and the North American Electric Reliability Corporation to assess future federal regulations that significantly affect power plants and offer formal comments to federal agencies about any effects on electric reliability.

This legislation, which the Metals Service Center Institute strongly supports, would enable speedier development of renewable energy projects; pipelines for traditional energy, hydrogen and carbon capture storage; critical mineral mines and processing facilities;​​​ semiconductor and battery manufacturing fabs; interstate transmission lines; and hydroelectric and nuclear power plants.

Passage of this bill into law this year will require approval by the full Senate, positive action in the U.S. House of Representatives, and President Joe Biden’s signature. Last week’s strong bipartisan support by the Senate committee of jurisdiction bodes well, but hurdles remain, including the fact that U.S. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) may not agree to bring the bill to the Senate floor for a vote. Stay tuned to Connecting the Dots for updates and to learn more about how the metals industry can make its collective voice heard on this important legislative issue.

To search, type what you're looking for and results will appear automatically