Weekly Briefing: Got Questions On Permitting Reform? We’ve Got Answers!
August 7, 2024
It’s been about two weeks since the bipartisan Energy Permitting Reform Act of 2024 was introduced in the Senate, and one week since it passed the Senate Energy and Natural Resources committee by a 15-4 vote.
Support is building for the bill among climate champions and clean energy advocates. Just yesterday, climate champion Sen. Chris Coons (D-DE), pictured above, posted that he is glad to see the Energy Permitting Reform Act advancing. “This bill is needed to accelerate American efforts to decarbonize our growing economy and strengthen our energy security and that of our allies,” Coons said.
CCL has been lobbying for clean energy permitting reform for nearly two years, but this legislation itself is still pretty new and it’s been moving along quickly. CCL staff is here to help you stay up to speed!
Last week, CCL Research Coordinator Dana Nuccitelli held a Q&A session with volunteers about the bill, and now, we’ve distilled the key information into a Frequently Asked Questions resource available on CCL Community. Here’s a peek at the questions you’ll find answered there:
Why is permitting reform even important? A slow permitting process is creating a bottleneck that’s slowing down the deployment of clean energy projects like solar and wind farms. Clean energy permitting reform is crucial to loosen that bottleneck and bring America closer to meeting our climate goals.
What’s in the Energy Permitting Reform Act? The FAQ page outlines the bill’s provisions, which deal with electrical transmission lines, clean energy targets, the statute of limitation for lawsuits, funding for community engagement, fossil fuel lease sales and permits, and more.
Who supports the bill, and why? Many organizations that work on clean energy, the electrical grid, and bipartisan energy and climate groups support the bill. That includes CCL! We’ve been lobbying for many of these permitting reform measures since last year, and we’re confident that this bill will reduce climate pollution overall and help America maximize the potential emissions cuts from the Inflation Reduction Act.
Who opposes the bill, and why? Many environmental groups have come out against the bill, based in part on a very rapid estimate of the climate impact of the fossil fuel provisions, conducted by Symons Public Affairs. The FAQ page goes into detail about the flaws in this analysis. We’re looking forward to thorough, accurate modeling coming soon from highly respected energy modeling groups, which will set the record straight about this bill’s overwhelming benefit to the climate.
Take a look at the full FAQ resource, as well as the recording of the Dana's Q&A session (on the "Watch" tab), to continue learning about this exciting and important climate legislation.
In other news this week
2024 Inclusion Conference: As a grassroots movement, our work thrives when we seek out and invite in everyone. Every person’s unique values and perspectives strengthen the tapestry of our advocacy. On Sept. 20-21, join us online for this year’s Inclusion Conference, titled “Rising Above: Renewal and Resilience for Our Future.” Let’s explore what new energy, opportunities and ideas emerge when we put inclusion at the center of our shared work. Registration is open now!
Take action this week
If you have a little time: Attend CCL’s August monthly meeting. This Saturday at 1 p.m. ET / 10 a.m. PT, join us on Zoom for our August meeting! CCL’s Executive Director Rachel Kerestes will host the meeting this month. We’ll hear from Rewiring America’s Aimee Witteman, who will share insights and encouragement for our Electrification Month efforts. We’ll also celebrate recent successes and review upcoming actions you can take this month.
If you have more time: Join a phone bank to get out the environmental vote. CCL’s Election Engagement Action Team is hosting weekly phone banks in partnership with the Environmental Voter Project (EVP) every Wednesday at 7 p.m. ET / 4 p.m. PT until election day in November. Sign up for an upcoming shift — Aug. 14, Aug. 21, Aug. 28 or a future date — to get training on how to phone bank and then jump right in making calls to encourage environmentalists to vote.
Featured: Media work in Minnesota
Clean energy is affordable, reliable, and safe — that’s the message CCL volunteers in Minnesota set out to convey through a local media drive to publish LTEs and op-eds in every congressional district in Minnesota.
The team of writers, led by CCL Northland chapter member Pat Fettes (pictured above, right), vowed to complete the challenge in time for CCL’s 2024 Summer Conference and Lobby Day. They smashed their goal — printing 46 letters in 26 different publications, across all eight Minnesota Congressional districts, by the time the June conference came around.
“We wanted to make it clear that we can transition to clean energy without sacrificing reliability, safety and affordability,” says Pat.
During CCL’s Lobby Day in June, volunteers shared the project with their congressional offices to let them know that it’s not just a few people in Minnesota’s major cities that are concerned about climate, but throughout the entire state.
“We could see that it really made an impression on congressional offices that we have the capacity to mobilize statewide on clean energy,” adds Pat. In recent months, she has extended the project to ensure that both big and small newspapers are covered in each district.
Learn more about this incredible project in a new blog post by CCL Communications & Media Manager Charlotte Ward.
Upcoming trainings
8/8: Hosting A Front Porch Ribbon Cutting - This August, Rewiring America and Citizens’ Climate Lobby are teaming up to organize Front Porch Ribbon Cuttings! These are fun events designed to showcase the impact of the IRA by celebrating homeowners who've installed clean electric machines like heat pumps, EVs, induction stoves, and heat pump water heaters. This training session will teach you how to host your own ribbon cutting event. Join us!
8/13: Communicating with Progressives - In this session, CCL Texas State Coordinator Bob Hendricks and CCL superstar volunteer Nicole Hammond will share recommendations on talking about carbon fee and dividend and CCL's policy agenda with progressive groups. Join us!
8/15: Electrifying Your Home - Ask Me Anything - Have you wanted to install a heat pump or other clean energy appliances and get a tax rebate, thanks to the Inflation Reduction Act? Join this open Q&A session with a panel of homeowners that have already done the work, and plan to ask them all your questions. Join us!
To see other topics and past trainings, visit the Training Topics page of CCL Community.
Nerd Corner Chart of the Week
China is electrifying faster than the rest of the world
Join the discussion about electrification month!
Recent Posts