Permitting provisions in the recent debt deal weaken the "momentum" for increased FERC transmission siting authority, says former FERC Chair Richard Glick.

Debt deal limits page counts and time on environmental reviews under the National Environmental Policy Act, but other work remains, and frustrations surface.

A debt ceiling compromise reached by President Biden and House Speaker McCarthy would cut NEPA review times but would not roll back IRA climate provisions.

Sen. Tom Carper's PEER Act would expand FERC’s permitting role; Republican bills have opposed the move.

Sen. Joe Manchin called on colleagues to put politics aside and hammer out a bipartisan bill to accelerate permitting of energy and transmission projects.

Successful implementation of the funding bills may hinge on Congress’ ability to put politics aside and hammer out legislation to streamline federal permitting.

Congressional Democrats and Republicans both seek changes to federal permitting rules, but each party seeks to serve different ends.

The U.S. must change permitting processes to deploy federal infrastructure money and ensure CO2 reductions needed to avoid the worst climate change impacts.

"Permitting reform" might be supported by a wide array of interests, but the details highlight major divides among the two political parties in Congress.

The National Rural Electric Cooperative Association urged Congress to streamline permitting of transmission, backing a bill to limit NEPA reviews to two years.