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Idaho committee introduces memorial urging Congress to speed federal energy permitting
Summary
The House Environment, Energy and Technology Committee voted to introduce RS31864, a memorial from Rep. Wendy Horman asking the U.S. Congress to modernize federal permitting—including processes under the National Environmental Policy Act—to accelerate energy infrastructure and mining projects.
BOISE — The Idaho House Environment, Energy and Technology Committee on Thursday voted to introduce RS31864, a memorial from Representative Wendy Horman urging the U.S. Congress to modernize federal permitting processes to speed deployment of energy infrastructure.
Representative Wendy Horman, R‑District 32 of Bonneville County, told the committee the measure calls on Congress to revise permitting procedures, including those under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), which she said have become “so cumbersome and, so slow that they really prevent capitalization of of, modern energy nuclear energy infrastructure.”
"The be it resolved is calling upon Congress to enact much needed reforms to the Federal permitting policies to accelerate deployment of new energy infrastructure," Horman said. She said the delays affect projects ranging from small modular reactors and microreactors to mining projects that are “critical to the State and to national security efforts.”
Committee Chair (name not specified in the record) opened a motion to introduce the memorial. Representative Horman moved to introduce RS31864. The chair called for discussion and then a voice vote. The record shows members answered “Aye,” and the chair declared the motion passed and the memorial introduced.
Horman said the committee will receive testimony during a full hearing to explain how permitting delays affect operations “here at home,” and the chair told the committee he looked forward to that testimony.
The measure as introduced asks Congress to streamline federal permitting generally and specifically references NEPA. The introduction does not enact policy; it places a memorial before the U.S. Congress and sets the item for further committee consideration and testimony in a subsequent hearing.
