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Senator Joe Manchin reportedly reached an agreement with Democratic leaders to advance legislation that would expedite the process for approving new energy projects and allow the Mountain Valley Pipeline in West Virginia to move forward. This side deal was agreed to in exchange for Senator Manchin's surprise support of the Senate's climate, energy, and healthcare package last week.
These changes to the energy permitting process would occur via legislation separate from the Inflation Reduction Act and would not qualify for the Senate budget procedure, making it impossible to approve a simple majority. The new agreement will need 60 votes to be approved and therefore requires Democratic and Republican support in order to pass.
According to a one-page summary, the new legislation would set new two-year maximum limits for environmental reviews for major projects and would expedite the approval process for energy projects by centralizing decision-making within one agency. It would also make it more difficult to challenge energy projects under the National Environmental Policy Act and would give the Department of Energy more authority to approve electric transmission lines.
The additional legislation is likely to face opposition from environmental groups and Democrats like Representative Raúl Grijalva, the chairman of the House Committee on Natural Resources, who said he’s worried that “comprehensive permitting reform” is a euphemism for gutting foundational environmental and public health protections like the National Environmental Policy Act.
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It's the most unimpressive tree you’ll ever see. I’ve worked at this park for 33 years now, I’ve seen most of the old growth in this park, and this particular tree is not that impressive at the base. It’s just really tall.”
