BPC Continues Permitting Reform Series, Analyzing Linear Infrastructure?
Washington, DC?- RealEstateRama – As part of its ongoing effort to develop a suite of bipartisan policy solutions to accelerate the federal permitting processes for clean energy and other infrastructure projects, today the Bipartisan Policy Center released a paper on linear infrastructure, its second in a series on permitting. The issue brief is being shared with Congress ahead of this week’s Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee hearing on the same subject.
Linear infrastructure—transmission lines and pipelines for hydrogen, carbon dioxide, and natural gas—transports energy, fuels, and CO2 from the point of creation to where they are needed, an enormous and often underrecognized task that requires substantial investment and planning.
The issue brief, Linear Infrastructure: Options for Efficient Permitting of Transmission and Pipeline Infrastructure, is the result of a May 2023 private roundtable under the Chatham House Rule that brought together experts from across the political spectrum to discuss a range of policy options, weighing the pros and cons of each.
“Both our economy and the environment need Congress to move forward with Permitting Reform 2.0 and they need it now,” said Xan Fishman, BPC director of energy policy and carbon management. “Enabling the buildout of transmission and pipelines, i.e. linear infrastructure, will be core components of a bipartisan deal, but it’s crucial to get the details right. That’s why we’re actively facilitating bipartisan discussions and educating policymakers on the importance and design of these reforms.”
BPC will continue its permitting roundtable series and accompanying takeaway documents, with the next paper focused on judicial review. The first paper in the series delved into community engagement.
