Clean Energy Permitting Reform

Permitting reform is critical to meeting our clean energy needs. More than 95% of new energy projects awaiting permits are for solar, wind, and battery storage. Right now, it takes years to review and approve these projects and the transmission lines that bring that energy to homes and businesses.

Permitting reform should be comprehensive.

Permitting reform will save lives by cutting air pollution. With permitting reform, clean energy will reduce the incidence of diseases like asthma and lung disease and prevent up to 180,000 premature American deaths over the next decade by reducing air pollution. Without permitting reform, there will be many thousands more premature deaths, mostly in vulnerable communities near sources of pollution.

Permitting reform is emerging as the biggest opportunity to cut carbon pollution in this Congress. There are serious bipartisan efforts in both the Senate and the House happening on permitting reform. Discussions are happening, and we should expect to see bills coming out in Congress soon.

An improved permitting process should allow local communities to give real input on energy projects and choose good projects over bad ones. Good projects should be approved faster, and harmful projects should be rejected faster. While it is impossible to build more clean energy projects without impact, new projects should safeguard the lives and health of people living near them.