A new bill introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives aims to speed up federal approval for energy and infrastructure projects on public lands.
The Standardized Permitting and Expediting Economic Development (SPEED) Act (HR 4776) would reform the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), shortening permitting timelines, reducing legal challenges and limiting the scope of environmental reviews.
These types of hurdles have long caused significant delays and expenses for small rural utilities that must build transmission and distribution infrastructure to expand and strengthen their systems.
OPD5 officials have strongly advocated the need for NEPA permitting reform. They have joined with other rural entities across the country, as well as the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA), in advocating in Congress for such important legislation.
“This long-awaited act offers meaningful solutions to small entities like ours,” said OPD5 CEO/General Manager MeLisa Garcia. “The delays and red tape created by NEPA increases costs for entities like OPD5. And we have no choice but to pass those additional costs on to our customers. We are urging our representatives to support this bill.”
As just one local example, Garcia cites the extended permitting process required in the current OPD5 project to build a second 138 KV transmission line across the Mormon Mesa to improve system-wide reliability.
“We projected more than 20 years ago that this line would be needed,” she said. “Our growth was steadily outstripping our available backup capacity. So we started planning, designing and lining up financing. But then it took another ten years just to get the right-of-way permits approved to build across BLM land. Not only have we lost that time, but the costs of construction for the project have increased exponentially. That additional expense is borne by our ratepayers. Any common-sense reforms to that process will be welcome. We urge our representatives to support this bill.”
The bill was introduced through the collaborative efforts of House Committee on Natural Resources Chairman Bruce Westerman (R-Arkansas), and Rep. Jared Golden (D-Maine). In recent statements they said that the measure’s aim is to modernize NEPA to streamline the permitting process and return the law to its intended purpose.
“Although well-intentioned, NEPA has not kept up with the times which is bad for both our environment and our economy,” Westerman said in a recent statement. “With commonsense upgrades, we can cut red tape and enable the U.S. to build once again while setting the standard for environmental stewardship. The SPEED Act will help launch America into a future where we can effectively innovate and implement to revitalize our infrastructure, meet skyrocketing energy demands, lead the world in the AI race and work in harmony with our natural environment.”
“Being a good steward of our environment doesn’t mean we must tolerate a yearslong permitting process that is onerous, overly complex and ripe for litigation abuse,” Golden added. “America must get back into the business of building. We need modern infrastructure. We need robust power production that does not discriminate between energy sources. These investments will create jobs, support our economy, keep prices down and help us maintain energy independence.”