WASHINGTON — ICYMI, Citizens for Responsible Energy Solutions (CRES) named Sen. Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) CRESponsible leader for the month of July. Each month, CRES highlights a member of Congress for their leadership on clean energy policy.
As CRESponsible Leader of the Month, Sen. Capito shared her insights with CRES on the momentum behind bipartisan permitting reform. She highlighted her history of leadership on the issue, from West Virginia’s own experience with permitting delays on projects like the Mountain Valley Pipeline to what comprehensive reform could mean for energy security and an all-of-the-above energy future.
Read the full interview below:
Chair Capito, you have been a leader on permitting reform from 2022, starting from when you introduced the Simplify Timelines and Assure Regulatory Transparency (START) Act to today’s permitting negotiations. This Congress, there seems to be even more bipartisan recognition of the need to address delays and uncertainty in the permitting process. Can you speak to your efforts to facilitate those discussions? What messages do you think are helping drive that understanding across the aisle?
As you mentioned, I have been at the center of permitting reform efforts for years now, and these efforts have been stronger than ever in the 119th Congress. Right now, we find ourselves in a unique moment of alignment when it comes to this topic. Republicans and Democrats alike recognize the need for reforms to unlock projects specific to our states and communities. On the first day of the Biden administration on January 20, 2021, the President cancelled a long-planned pipeline via an Executive Order, which had a catastrophic impact on the economy and energy security in multiple states. More recently, permitting uncertainty for wind and solar projects has affected many of my colleagues and their constituents. While the types of projects we want may not be the same, they are all held up in the same regulatory swamp and by the same shifting political winds. No matter what brings us to the negotiating table in the first place, I have been steadfast in communicating that definitively reforming and improving these processes is in the best interest of my colleagues on both sides of the aisle.
You represent a state with a proud history as an energy-producing powerhouse and now an emerging national hub for critical minerals and rare earth elements. Can you elaborate a little bit about how meaningful reforms could benefit projects in West Virginia and ultimately your constituents?
Energy is a part of our identity as West Virginians. It is a central aspect of our culture and history that has lasted for generations. That is something to be proud of and something we must continue to invest in. Unfortunately, West Virginians know all too well how permitting uncertainty can stand in the way of our state’s energy and critical mineral production. Back in 2011, West Virginia miners suffered when President Obama’s EPA retroactively vetoed a Clean Water Act permit at a Logan County coal mine that was in full compliance with its permit. The Mountain Valley Pipeline, a key project for my state, underwent years of circular reviews and approvals until I fought to have the project fully permitted and authorized in the Fiscal Responsibility Act in 2023. Now, as our state looks to expand our capabilities, it will be essential for West Virginian businesses and workers to have certainty that approved permits will remain in effect so that businesses can grow, jobs can stay secure and energy facilities can continue operating without interruption.
In the context of the global marketplace and competition with our adversaries, can you explain how these projects may positively impact our national security?
Energy dominance is energy security, and this security is vital to the success of our nation and our allies. As we look to the future, we must recognize the growing energy demands that we are facing. The North American Electric Reliability Corporation has found that over the next ten years, due to a rise in energy consumption and the early retirement of our existing fossil fuel generation, our country could face major electric reliability concerns. This is due to overregulation, something that countries like China and Russia do not have to deal with, and something the Trump administration is actively working to fix. Our energy and environmental policies do not need to be at odds. There are reasonable, pragmatic approaches to meet the energy demands of today. Meeting this demand will only be possible through an all-the-above energy approach, something I have long supported. By allowing all energy projects to move forward more easily, we will better position ourselves to continue supplying reliable, affordable, American-made energy nationwide.
What would you say to some environmentalists who argue that permitting reforms would only benefit conventional or traditional energy sources? How could comprehensive reforms benefit other energy sources like nuclear, hydroelectric, geothermal and solar?
Successful reforms to our federal permitting processes will provide certainty for all kinds of projects, not just fossil fuels. We’re not just talking about the coal mines and pipelines. We’re also talking about the windmills and solar farms, as well as the steel mills, highways, water line extensions, housing developments, broadband deployments, and bridge replacements that have all faced delays due to our broken federal permitting processes. The legislation that we develop in Congress must help all types of projects, not just politically favored projects or projects that will support the needs of some Americans but not others. This belief has been at the center of my work on permitting reform, and I will continue to lead the bipartisan effort to see this through.
As Ranking Member and now Chair of the Environment Public Works Committee, you have been responsible for helping achieve major bipartisan agreements over the years. Can you share what motivates you in these discussions?
The EPW Committee has a long tradition of bipartisanship that transforms ideas into laws, and this bipartisan tradition is central to our identity as a committee. This collaborative partnership was seen from Senators Boxer and Inhofe, and Barrasso and Carper, before me and Ranking Member Whitehouse. That thread of bipartisanship and willingness to work together is something I am dedicated to continuing, and I believe it is essential to the health of our democracy and the continued success of our nation.