CERTAIN Act would overhaul permitting while meeting energy needs, legislators say

By Daily Energy Insider

Legislation to overhaul infrastructure permitting would fix the federal permitting system, and ensure energy projects are built efficiently, fairly, and on-time, a bipartisan group of legislators said. 

U.S. Reps. Scott Peters (D-CA), Gabe Evans (R-CO), Gabe Vasquez (D-NM), Andrew Garbarino (R-NY), Adam Gray (D-CA), Juan Ciscomani (R-AZ), Chrissy Houlahan (D-PA), and Jen Kiggans (R-VA) said the Create Expedited Reviews to Transform American Infrastructure Now (CERTAIN) Act would streamline federal permitting processes from when an application is submitted up to when agencies reach their final decisions. 

“Californians are already being crushed by skyrocketing energy costs. They cannot wait years for political battles to play out while their bills keep climbing. The CERTAIN Act ends the partisan whiplash that has stalled infrastructure projects for years. Once a project has undergone a fair and thorough review and obtained its permits, it should be able to move forward. That’s not a Democratic or Republican idea. It’s common sense,” Peters said. 

The lawmakers said while America’s energy demand is surging, the energy infrastructure is not being built fast enough to meet the demand. Without reform, the delays would cause a slow-down in energy development which would drive up costs and impose consequences for American businesses, workers and consumers. 

The CERTAIN Act would provide firm timelines and milestones for all federal permitting decisions; make clear the legal remedies for when agencies miss deadlines; strengthen interagency coordination to eliminate redundant reviews and provide protections from and accountability measures for permitting agencies 

“Over the past decade, we’ve seen how shifting policies from one administration to the next lead to stalled energy projects and make long-term planning impossible, and we cannot afford to leave our energy producers exposed to this political pendulum,” Vasquez said. “That’s why I’m proud to be leading the CERTAIN Act, a bipartisan solution that protects the permitting process for all types of energy projects from undue political interference.”