The House Natural Resources Committee voted 25-18 to advance to the full House the SWACCA-advocated, bipartisan “Standardizing Permitting and Expediting Economic Development (SPEED) Act” (H.R. 4776) to revise project permitting processes under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). This includes the buildout of new data centers across the nation and associated water and energy infrastructure projects necessary to support them. Reps. Jared Golden (D-ME) and Adam Gray (D-CA) joined all Republicans in approving the bill. In the lead-up to Thursday’s markup, the Committee circulated a “What They Are Saying” document that highlighted SWACCA’s letter of support for the SPEED Act that was submitted last month.
Over the course of the more than five-hour markup, the Committee adopted only two of nearly 30 amendments considered. The first was a substitute amendment from Chairman and bill sponsor Rep. Bruce Westerman (R-AR) that was approved by voice vote and, among other things, requires federal agencies to determine permit application completeness within 60 days and allow agencies to rely on previously completed environmental documents for actions that are substantially the same and have similar effects. Also adopted by voice vote was a bipartisan amendment from bill cosponsors Reps. Jared Golden (D-ME) and Pete Stauber (R-MN) intended to improve the certainty provided by the underlying bill by preventing a future administration from scrapping projects which have already received a permit. All other amendments were either withdrawn or rejected largely along party lines.
The Committee also adopted by unanimous consent and with substitute amendments: (1) H.R. 573, requiring annual reports on project permitting and related litigation delays and costs caused by NEPA; and (2) H.R. 4503, the “ePermit Act” to develop a standardized electronic system to serve as a single portal for all federal permitting matters and related materials. Amendment text and additional supporting information regarding the markup will be made available here.