CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Sen. Shelley Moore Capito is taking a lead role in a renewed attempt by senators to reform the federal environmental review and permitting process.
Capito chairs the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, which, along with the Energy and National Resources committee, is hoping for a solution that reaches across the aisle that can be made to streamline permitting and ease development around the country. Sens. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.) and Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), the ranking Democrats on those committees, released a statement expressing their willingness to move forward with discussions.
“EPW committee ranking member Whitehouse and ENR committee ranking member Heinrich announced that they would return to the negotiating table so that we can develop essential bipartisan reforms to our broken federal permitting processes,” Capito said.
That announcement cited positive developments working with the Trump administration, as well as an expectation that currently-permitted wind energy projects will continue with accelerated permitting for proposed solar projects. Negotiations are opening back up after the Environment and Public Works Committee held hearings on the permitting process in January.
Capito is hoping conversations can move quickly toward a solution.
“Time is of the essence, I think, to achieve what we want, which is a predictable permitting process that we invest in America, which will lower our costs and increase economic productivity,” she said.
After negotiations earlier this year stalled, Capito still believes that reform to federal permitting can provide a significant boost for West Virginia. Her comments seemingly echo the words of Whitehouse and Heinrich, who stated they hoped a bipartisan bill would speed infrastructure development, lower energy costs, and create good-paying jobs.
“Passing these reforms will unlock trillions of dollars in the US economy, will bring us the certainty that we want, and have a strong impact, I think, on West Virginia’s infrastructure, on our manufacturing capacity, and, of course, energy production, which is critical to the nation but also to our state,” she said.