Westerman promotes "Speed Act" as bipartisan cure for slow permitting

Rep. Bruce Westerman told a Juneau briefing that Congress has bipartisan proposals to streamline permitting and that the "Speed Act" would set time-bound, technology-neutral processes to accelerate approvals.

"We've got a bipartisan bill called the Speed Act that's really looking at how to streamline permitting so that we can get these projects moving," Westerman said, adding that the bill would apply across energy and infrastructure projects and give applicants predictable timelines.

Westerman said earlier efforts with senators such as Barrasso and Manchin did not reach the finish line but that current political conditions may create an opportunity for enactment. He and other delegation members argued that a uniform process would help both traditional energy development and renewables, and would also assist forest and transmission projects.

Reporters in Juneau asked whether step-wise Interior Department review for renewables might slow projects; Westerman argued legislation like the Speed Act would create a neutral process that treats technologies equitably and reduces uncertainty for investors and developers.