The Natural Resources Committee of the US House of Representatives has advanced a bill aimed at getting energy projects built faster.
The Standardizing Permitting and Expediting Economic Development (SPEED) Act would make key reforms to the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), the law governing much of the US federal permitting process for infrastructure projects, including offshore wind and onshore projects on federal land.
The bill will now go to the full House of Representatives for a vote.
The American Council for Renewable Energy praised the move.
CEO Ray Long said: “Durable, bipartisan permitting reforms that provide project certainty and speed up energy infrastructure build-out will help to keep the lights on and reduce electricity costs.”