Clean energy is set to transform the makeup of American manufacturing and investment – and that transformation is already underway.
But failure to act on permitting reform puts an estimated 100 GW of clean energy projects at risk of significant delay, representing:
- $100 billion+ of lost investment;
- 150,000 lost American jobs;
- 550 million metric tons of additional carbon emissions this decade (equal to annual emissions of 120 million cars); and
- Delayed energy independence from foreign sources.
The average timeline for a clean energy project to obtain necessary National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) reviews is 4.5 years. For transmission projects, the average wait is even longer – 6.5 years. And it can take some projects a decade to get a permit.
- That’s how long it took to build the entire Panama Canal
- Twice the time it took to build the Hoover Dam.
- Two and a half Golden Gate Bridges
It shouldn’t take up to a decade just to permit an energy project.
Congress should consider reasonable reforms to the permitting process that will help ensure it strikes the right balance of timely decisions for projects while preserving thorough environmental reviews.
Read about the issue and the solutions in this fact sheet.
(PDF download)
