Rep. Evans and Problem Solvers Colleagues Welcome Governors’ Push for Bipartisan Permitting Reform

Washington, DC – Today, Problem Solvers Caucus Permitting Reform Working Group Co-Leads Reps. Gabe Evans (R, C0-08) and Scott Peters (D, CA-50) and Co-Chairs Reps. Tom Suozzi (D, NY-03) and Brian Fitzpatrick (R, PA-01) released the following statement on the National Governors Association’s recently released permitting reform priorities:

“We welcome the National Governors Association’s release of their permitting reform priorities. It is encouraging to see so much overlap with the Problem Solvers Caucus Permitting Reform Framework, released last month. This alignment underscores broad bipartisan agreement on key reforms, including:

• Adopting a common interagency digital permitting system to streamline and modernize the process

• Urging FERC to take a stronger role in permitting transmission, while reforming the broken National Interest Electric Transmission Corridor System

• Expanding categorical exclusions in low-disturbance areas such as existing rights of way, low-disturbance transmission and generation, and geothermal exploration

• Reforming the National Environmental Policy Act by better encouraging early community engagement, streamlining the litigation process, and ensuring that federal funding alone cannot subject applicants to onerous federal reviews

• Making it easier to permit nuclear energy production projects

This letter is a wake-up call to Congress that our states need us to act on permitting reform to ensure we can meet energy demand, reduce costs, and compete against China in energy innovation. Our bipartisan Permitting Reform Framework is a roadmap to do just that. We look forward to working with the National Governors Association as part of the growing coalition focused on meeting today’s environmental challenges investing in a secure grid for this century. We will continue working with our colleagues in Congress to pass commonsense permitting reform into law.”