Constitution Partners LLC’s Post

Congress must prioritize comprehensive energy-permitting reform. Delays in project approvals are hurting families with high energy prices and straining our electrical grid. Consider this your Permitting Reform Primer: https://lnkd.in/eEsrCkQ9 

LCI Updates: The government has issued Regulation of the Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources Number 11 Year 2024 regarding Use of Domestic Products for Electricity Infrastructure Construction which comes into effect on 31 July 2024. The regulation stipulates the obligation to use domestic goods and services in the construction of electricity infrastructure for the public interest. https://lnkd.in/gbRFYy57 #energy #legalcentric

Earlier today, Sen. John Hickenlooper (D-CO) and Rep. Scott Peters (D-CA) introduced the SPEED & Reliability Act. This bill would amend federal 'backstop siting' authority for certain interstate electric transmission lines. Under Section 216 of the Federal Power Act, as amended by the 2021 Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) may issue permits to construct facilities that are within geographic areas designated by the Department of Energy (DOE) as National Interest Electric Transmission Corridors, or NIETCs, and for which a state commission denies or fails to approve a siting application within one year. To date, this authority has never been used. The SPEED & Reliability Act would streamline this process by moving DOE towards a more applicant-driven approach, whereby transmission developers may submit project-specific applications for designation as 'national interest high-impact facilities.' DOE would be required to act on such a request within 90 days, and FERC would conduct a single environmental review for the proposed line. Importantly, developers could file simultaneously for state and federal approval. The authors state that this legislation would shorten the existing siting and permitting process for national interest lines by at least 5 years. https://lnkd.in/e9nwKNG6

My latest for Law360: U.S. Senate energy committee leaders have proposed legislation that would significantly overhaul #energy project infrastructure permitting, but it faces a sharply divided Congress made even more daunting by a presidential election this fall. With an initial markup scheduled for next week, here are some key takeaways.

This is a good summary of the challenges, particularly time, to the permitting of major new energy infrastructure projects. It's encouraging to know that someone in Congress is looking at the issue seriously, although Congress does not have the plenary authority under the U.S. Constitution to eliminate permitting delays across the board. The quotation in the article about limiting the time for federal appellate review of federal agency permitting decisions to 30 days is profoundly ignorant of appellate procedure as well as the simple logistics of bringing a case. #netzerotransition #energyprojects #transmission

From CCL: The permitting reform bill is in the process of being written in the Senate. Here is more information about the bill: https://lnkd.in/gSvf5ZGa According to Fluence, the reasons for the delay were nothing to do with interconnection issues, however, and more around “site readiness, civil works, permitting and the customer decision process,” Pasha said. https://lnkd.in/g_sPBN6c

Tune in TODAY for an ESPC Campaign webinar to learn how public institutions can leverage energy savings performance contracts (ESPCs) to maximize the impact of federal, state and other grants and incentives to modernize facilities, reduce emissions, and meet efficiency and resiliency targets. Register at the link below!

Via Utility Dive: " Permitting reform budget request should push Congress to negotiate a bipartisan deal: Our domestic energy supply cannot be secured until the United States’ burdensome approval process is overhauled so that we can begin to get major energy infrastructure projects underway.   " #Energy #Utility #Utilities

ICYMI: The Wall Street Journal Editorial Board supports the Energy Permitting Reform Act of 2024 📰 "Mr. Trump’s convention platform glossed over permitting reform, and nearly everything else. But if the former President wants to drill, baby, drill, and keep electricity and energy costs down, he’ll need help from Congress to make permitting easier." This bipartisan legislation, introduced by U.S. Senator John Barrasso (R-WY) and U.S. Senator Joe Manchin (I-WV), aims to streamline the permitting process, ensuring a more efficient path to energy independence. 🔗 Read more in the WSJ

If you are building or developing New Construction in CA you need to be in the know of the Building Decarbonization Phase 3B ruling that was passed by the CPUC in January. This ruling eliminates rate payer subsidies for the extension of new gas lines starting July 1st. If you are designing a new mixed fuel building, this impacts your project. Sharing this article by Utility Dive to familiar yourself with this new policy and a link to the CPUC Policy language. https://lnkd.in/gjT4d9DE https://lnkd.in/gsvjMJeb