Analysis by Energy Workforce President Tim Tarpley
Long a priority for Energy Workforce for the past two years has been to get a comprehensive permitting reform bill through Congress. With long wait times for permitting energy infrastructure projects slowing down and often canceling projects, it has become abundantly clear that something needs to be done to ensure that the United States can truly unleash the power of American Energy and meet the demand projections in the coming years. In addition to oil and gas pipelines and traditional energy infrastructure, new energy technologies like carbon capture hydrogen are also being dramatically slowed by permitting slowdowns.
The Barrasso/Manchin Energy Permitting Reform Act is the most likely vehicle to move before the end of Congress. This bipartisan bill passed out of Senate Energy earlier this year with a strong bipartisan vote. Senate Energy staff and House Natural Resources staff have been meeting regularly, and Chairman Westerman said, “We are still actively working on it; I’d say we’re closer. There’s talks going on right now.” Manchin echoed this statement: “We’re all in the same ballpark. It’s just a matter of how you tweak it…” Chairman Westerman also has his own package of permitting reform bills which complement the Manchin/Barrasso package focusing on NEPA reforms.
There are still two major must-pass bills for the end of the year, so if a deal is reached, ample opportunities exist for an agreed version to be attached. Spending must be extended into next year, and the National Defense Authorization Act must also be passed. EWTC, along with our trade association partners, recently urged House Speaker Johnson to work to move the bill by the end of the year.
Tim Tarpley, Energy Workforce President, analyzes federal policy for the Energy Workforce & Technology Council. Click here to subscribe to the Energy Workforce newsletter, which highlights sector-specific issues, best practices, activities and more.
