ICYMI: Heatmap Highlights Reps. Gabe Evans and Scott Peters’ Bipartisan Push to Fix America’s Permitting System

WASHINGTON, D.C. — In case you missed it, Heatmap News highlighted Congressman Gabe Evans (R-CO) and Congressman Scott Peters’ (D-CA) bipartisan work to reform America’s permitting system and make it easier to build the energy and transmission infrastructure communities need.

In an interview with Heatmap’s Matthew Zeitlin, Reps. Evans and Peters discussed their ongoing partnership on permitting reform, including their recently introduced Certainty in Litigation for Electric Asset Reliability (CLEAR) Act and their broader Create Expedited Reviews to Transform American Infrastructure Now (CERTAIN) Act.

“The district that I represent truly is an all-of-the-above energy district,” Evans told Heatmap.

Colorado’s Eighth Congressional District is home to all-of-the-above energy production, which is why Northern Colorado communities care about improving the ability to build and move reliable energy.

Evans and Peters recently introduced the bipartisan CLEAR Act to address delays facing major transmission projects. The legislation would align judicial review standards for Department of Energy-coordinated transmission projects with standards already used for other energy infrastructure under the Federal Power Act, including a 120-day deadline to file legal challenges.

The legislation builds on the pair’s broader work on permitting reform. Earlier this year, Evans and Peters helped lead the bipartisan CERTAIN Act, which would establish clearer timelines and accountability for federal permitting decisions, improve coordination among federal agencies, and protect lawfully issued permits from arbitrary revocation.

Speaking with Heatmap about bringing bipartisan permitting proposals forward in the House, Evans said the effort “gives a little bit more impetus to the Senate to know that the House is looking for these things.”

Peters also discussed his working relationship with Evans and their shared focus on moving projects forward.

“What I appreciate about Gabe is that it takes a little bit of initiative to separate yourself from the majority — particularly when you’re in the trifecta — and do your own thing. He’s been a good partner in helping find ways to reduce process and make things go faster,” Peters told Heatmap.

Evans said the partnership grew out of their work together in Congress and a shared willingness to work across party lines on areas of agreement.

“We’ve built the relationship over the last two years with a lot of the different areas that we’ve collaborated on,” Evans said.

Peters similarly told Heatmap: “I always try to meet the members of my committee and find out who will work with me. And I was fortunate to find Gabe.”

Before coming to Congress, Evans served in the Colorado General Assembly, where two thirds of his bills were bipartisan. He told Heatmap that experience has carried over to his work in Washington.

As Congress continues discussions over broader permitting reform, Evans and Peters are working to advance policies aimed at reducing unnecessary delays while providing greater certainty for the energy and infrastructure projects needed to meet growing demand.

Read Heatmap’s full interview, “The Bipartisan Buddies With a Plan to Fix Transmission,” here.

Background:

The CLEAR Act would establish a 120-day statute of limitations for legal challenges to qualifying transmission projects, require petitioners to participate in the official comment period before bringing a challenge, and send challenges directly to the U.S. Court of Appeals.

The legislation follows the bipartisan CERTAIN Act introduced earlier this year. The CERTAIN Act would establish firm timelines for federal permitting decisions, strengthen coordination among agencies, create legal remedies when deadlines are missed, and protect lawfully issued permits against arbitrary revocation.

Both efforts are part of Evans and Peters’ ongoing work on bipartisan permitting reform and energy infrastructure.