House Democrats on Thursday released draft legislation that could be their opening bid in permitting reform negotiations. |
© Photo by Mark Felix / AFP |
House Republicans’ permitting efforts, as detailed in their H.R.1 package, focused on speeding up environmental reviews for infrastructure projects. On the other hand, the new draft from Democrats Sean Casten (Ill.) and Mike Levin (Calif.) focused largely on electricity infrastructure, renewable energy and including local communities in the process.
Specifically, their legislation aims to: - Give the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission greater authority to approve transmission lines
- Bolster transmission between different regions of the country
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Create community solar programs
- Require the designation of “priority” areas for solar, wind and geothermal energy on public lands
- Declare that greenhouse gas emissions should factor into the wholesale costs of fossil-powered electricity
- Mandate steps to reach out to communities during the permitting process
While the Democrats are not expected to get everything they want — just like Republicans are unlikely to have their entire energy package ultimately become law — this does give indications about the party's priorities during negotiations.
Read more in a full report at TheHill.com. |
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