House Democrats launch task force on permitting

The task force, led by Rep. Jared Huffman (D-Calif.), comes as the House prepares to vote next week on a Republican energy package, which includes a GOP permitting bill and is expected to pass along party lines.

Huffman told The Climate 202 that liberal House Democrats had two main motivations for establishing the group: Providing a forum for discussing the construction of clean-energy projects and countering some “bad ideas” on permitting from House Republicans.

“We are really interested in expediting clean-energy projects,” Huffman said. “But the second [motivation] is that frankly some bad ideas are being floated in the name of permitting reform, and that’s concerning. You know, some false choices that suggest you need to choose between clean energy and environmental justice.”

Members of the task force include Congressional Progressive Caucus Chair Pramila Jayapal (Wash.), House Natural Resources Committee ranking member Raúl M. Grijalva (Ariz.), House Energy and Commerce Committee ranking member Paul Tonko (N.Y.), and Reps. Mike Levin (Calif.), Joe Neguse (Colo.) and Melanie Ann Stansbury (N.M.).

Huffman left open the possibility that the task force would draft its own permitting legislation as a counterproposal to Republicans’ fossil-fuel-friendly energy package. In the meantime, Huffman said he hopes the task force will meet with Biden administration officials, including White House climate adviser John D. Podesta and experts at the Energy Department and Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.