After negotiations extending well past the end of the formal legislative session, Massachusetts lawmakers are nearing passage of a wide-ranging climate and energy bill.

With the presidential election five weeks away, the fate of permitting reform and the Inflation Reduction Act were top of mind for attendees and speakers at the National Clean Energy Week Policymakers Symposium.

The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court upheld the Energy Facilities Siting Board’s approval of a controversial substation in East Boston, likely concluding the 10-year fight over the project.

Following the failure of the Massachusetts House and Senate to reach common ground on a climate bill this summer, Gov. Maura Healey (D) has proposed to include clean energy permitting and procurement provisions in a supplemental budget bill.

With the end of Massachusetts’ legislative session looming, lawmakers are on the clock to reach an agreement on a major climate bill centered around clean energy permitting and siting reform.

FERC Order 1920 could help move the bar significantly on more efficiently expanding the transmission grid, but its ultimate success depends on how it and other policies are implemented, stakeholders say.

Early and meaningful engagement with host communities will be an essential component of expediting energy permitting and siting processes, panelists said at a New England Electricity Restructuring Roundtable.

Top utility commissioners from four New England states emphasized the need for regulatory innovation to preserve affordability amid the clean energy transition at the New England Energy Conference and Exposition.