HCR 35 — Urge Congress accelerate deployment of new energy infrastructure

As ReportedAdopted by the House Energy Committee 136th General Assembly Regular Session H.

Representatives Hall, T., Johnson, King, Fischer, Mathews, A., Salvo, Thomas, D., WilliamsWilliams, Bird, Claggett, Click, Daniels, Dovilla, Ghanbari, Hiner, Holmes, Hoops, Klopfenstein, Lorenz, Mathews, T., McClain, Peterson, Pizzulli, Richardson, Ritter, Robb Blasdel, Roemer, Schmidt, Stephens, Willis, Workman A C O N C U R R E N T R E S O L U T I O N To urge Congress to enact reforms to federal permitting 1 policies to accelerate deployment of new energy 2 infrastructure.

and 7 WHEREAS, The excessively complex federal permitting and 8 environmental review processes that have built up around 9 America's environmental laws, including the National 10 Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), the Endangered Species Act 11 (ESA), the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA), Clean 12 Water Act (CWA), and dozens of other federal requirements, have 13 grown to be so cumbersome that they often unnecessarily slow or 14 prevent the construction of essential new energy infrastructure 15 and therefore discourage domestic energy production without 16 advancingH. the laudable goals of these laws;

and 17 WHEREAS, Energy is produced in the United States at a much 18 H.

35 Page 2 As ReportedAdopted by the House Energyadvancing Committee higher environmental standard than is typically the caselaudable in the 19 countries from which energy is imported, so prevention of 20 domestic energy production undermines the goals of thosethese very 21 same environmental laws;

and 17 WHEREAS, Energy is produced in the United States at a much 18 higher environmental standard than is typically the case in the 19 countries from which energy is imported, so prevention of 20 domestic energy production undermines the goals of those very 21 same environmental laws;

and 44 WHEREAS, The United States is highly reliant on China and 45 other countries that do not share our interests to mine and 46 process critical minerals, with demand for some of these 47 mineralsH. potentially growing by more than forty times by 2040;

48 and 49 H.

35 Page 3 As ReportedAdopted by the House Energyminerals Committeepotentially WHEREAS,growing Otherby developedmore nationsthan thatforty sharetimes ourby goals2040; to 50 protect the environment while producing abundant energy 51 resources, such as Canada and Australia, have shown that they 52 can permit new mines within two to three years instead of nearly 53 ten years, as is often the case in the United States;

48 and 49 WHEREAS, Other developed nations that share our goals to 50 protect the environment while producing abundant energy 51 resources, such as Canada and Australia, have shown that they 52 can permit new mines within two to three years instead of nearly 53 ten years, as is often the case in the United States;

and 77 WHEREAS, Failure to reform federal permitting laws is 78 already resulting in fewer jobs, reduced security, and higher 79 prices for Americans without providing additional benefits for 80 H.

35 Page 4 As ReportedAdopted by the House Energyalready Committeeresulting in fewer jobs, reduced security, and higher 79 prices for Americans without providing additional benefits for 80 the environment;

and be it further 108 RESOLVED, That these legislative reforms should also 109 strive to ensure accountability for federal agencies conducting 110 permitting and environmental review processes, including better 111 data and more aggressive timelines for projects at all levels of 112 H.

35 Page 5 As ReportedAdopted by the House Energypermitting Committeeand environmental review processes, including better 111 data and more aggressive timelines for projects at all levels of 112 environmental review, whether environmental impact statements, 113 environmental assessments, or categorically excluded projects 114 under NEPA;