WASHINGTON – Today, Citizens for Responsible Energy Solutions (CRES) President and CEO Heather Reams issued the following statement congratulating Chairman Bruce Westerman (R-Ark.) on passing the bipartisan Standardizing Permitting and Expediting Economic Development (SPEED) Act favorably out of the House Committee on Natural Resources.
“We appreciate Chairman Westerman and Representative Jared Golden’s leadership in spearheading the SPEED Act, which will help clarify review processes for agencies and courts,” said CRES President and CEO Heather Reams. “These commonsense reforms to the National Environmental Policy Act will provide a path to strengthen domestic supply chains and accelerate deployment of clean energy technology and infrastructure. We hope this bill will be brought to the House floor soon followed by swift action in the Senate. The U.S. can no longer afford years of legal uncertainty that benefits our adversaries by hindering investment in projects critical to our economic and national security.”
CRES continues to be a strong advocate for permitting reform:
- In July, CRES delivered a letter of support to the House Committee on Natural Resources endorsing the SPEED Act.
- In December 2024, CRES signed a letter to leadership led by the American Clean Power (ACP) Association urging immediate passage of the Energy Permitting Reform Act of 2024 before Congress adjourns.
- In September 2024, CRES President Heather Reams testified before the House Committee on Natural Resources in support of draft legislation from Chairman Bruce Westerman (R-Ark.) to amend the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), a Congressional Review Act (CRA) resolution from Rep. Garret Graves (R-La.) that would reverse the Biden Administration’s Phase II NEPA regulations and the Studying NEPA’s Impact on Projects Act from Rep. Rudy Yakym (R-Ind.).
- In September 2024, CRES endorsed House Committee on Natural Resources Chairman Bruce Westerman’s (R-Ark.) discussion draft legislation to amend the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 and expedite permitting of clean energy projects across the country.
- In September 2024, CRES signed a letter to leadership led by ACP urging passage of the Energy Permitting Reform Act of 2024.
- In July 2024, CRES penned a letter to U.S. Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources Chairman Joe Manchin (I-W.Va.) and Ranking Member John Barrasso (R-Wyo.) advocating for passage of S. 4753, the Energy Permitting Reform Act of 2024.
- In July 2024, CRES endorsed the Energy Permitting Reform Act of 2024, introduced by Sens. John Barrasso (R-Wyo.) and Joe Manchin (I-W.Va.)
- In March 2023, CRES joined a letter led by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce in support of federal permitting reform.
- In June 2022, CRES Forum published a white paper analyzing permitting modernization and reforms.