Source: Three Takeaways from the Roosevelt Institute’s Permitting Reform Forum – Roosevelt Institute
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On March 21, 2023, the Roosevelt Institute hosted a day of discussion on the many dimensions of this debate for experts from academia, government, frontline communities, and the clean energy private sector. Over the course of the day, participants offered ideas for how to, in Earthjustice President Abigail Dillen’s words, “reimagine the rules to drive genuine clean energy, to create a shared vision of what a clean and fair energy system looks like, and build the trust to align around that.” These included ideas to reform NEPA and build out even more vital transmission capacity in ways that reflect the interests of both justice advocates and renewable developers.
Three key points of consensus emerged:
- NEPA review is not the primary cause for delay in renewable projects;
- Transmission capacity and gatekeepers to connecting to the energy grid are the biggest threat to timely renewable deployment; and
- Progressive reforms to NEPA that strengthen, rather than cut, community engagement would build trust that could help ensure the long-term success of the renewable transition.
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