Full Title: How Does Permitting for Clean Energy Infrastructure Work?
Author(s): Rayan Sud and Sanjay Patnaik
Publisher(s): Brookings
Publication Date: September 28, 2022
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Description (excerpt):
There are many obstacles to the rapid deployment of this infrastructure, but one key obstacle at the center of much debate is the federal permit process. As part of recent negotiations to secure the passage of the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), Senator Joe Manchin made a “side deal” with Democratic leaders. In this deal, he made his critical support for the IRA contingent on passage of an energy infrastructure permit reform bill, which, among other provisions, aims to speed the processes of federal permitting by setting time limits on environmental reviews, prioritizing certain big-ticket projects, and limiting state powers in permitting related to electric transmission and clean water protection (although Sen. Manchin pulled this bill from immediate must-pass legislation, his proposed reforms may return to the Senate floor at a later time).
In this article, we examine the current policy landscape of the permitting process, with a focus on renewable energy infrastructure deployment. We evaluate some common obstacles to the permitting of such infrastructure, and summarize recent policy action to reform these processes at the federal level.