Statement of Nathaniel Keohane
President, Center for Climate and Energy Solutions (C2ES)

May 31, 2023

On the House of Representatives’ approval of bipartisan debt limit deal:

“On the vital issue of federal permitting of clean energy infrastructure, the debt ceiling package passed by the House of Representatives this evening takes modest steps in the right direction—but Congress and the Biden administration have much more to do.

“To support a thriving low-carbon economy and meet our climate goals, America needs to build clean energy infrastructure at speed and scale—and we need to do it now. The page limits and ‘shot clocks’ in the debt ceiling package are reasonable steps that should help speed the deployment of offshore wind farms, energy storage facilities, wind and solar projects on federal land, and other clean energy projects, but those provisions are only a fraction of what’s needed. We need reforms that advance both fairness and efficiency, enshrining the importance of genuine community engagement from the very beginning of project planning while ensuring that critical clean energy projects can proceed quickly and predictably, without superfluous legal challenges intended only to delay. And we need comprehensive reforms that accelerate siting of clean energy projects as well as the transmission lines and other infrastructure needed to connect them.

“In the coming months, C2ES will work with leading companies to urge President Biden and Speaker McCarthy to make good on their commitment to pass comprehensive legislation that improves the permitting process and accelerates new transmission. The debt limit requires immediate action—but on clean energy infrastructure, the job is not done. We look forward to working with Congress to build on this starting point.”

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About C2ES: The Center for Climate and Energy Solutions (C2ES) works to secure a safe and stable climate, by accelerating the global transition to net-zero greenhouse gas emissions and a thriving, just, and resilient economy. Learn more at www.c2es.org.

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