Shannon Van Hoesen, shannon.vanhoesen@sierraclub.org
Washington, DC – Today, the US Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources passed the Energy Permitting Reform Act of 2024, dubbed the “Dirty Deal,” sponsored by Senators Joe Manchin and John Barrasso. The legislation would open up federal lands and waters to more leasing and drilling and unnecessarily rush the review of proposed gas export projects, forcing decisions to be based on flawed, outdated studies.
Though some proponents claim the bill would support the deployment of clean energy, the Wall Street Journal Editorial Board noted that the legislation would be a “political winner” for former President Trump because it would allow for an expansion of drilling for dirty fossil fuels.
The bill would reverse the Biden-Harris administration’s pause on liquefied gas, or LNG, export approvals, blocking the administration’s efforts to ensure that approved LNG projects properly account for climate risks and do not increase energy costs for American consumers. It would fast-track future approvals for gas export projects with strict, arbitrary deadlines.
The Clean Electricity and Transmission Acceleration (CETA) Act, proposed late last year by Representatives Sean Casten and Mike Levin, offers a real solution to address permitting issues that often slow the deployment of renewable energy sources and the transmission infrastructure that is crucially needed to support them, without including handouts for the fossil fuel industry or sacrificing communities.
In response, Sierra Club Beyond Fossil Fuels Policy Director Mahyar Sorour released the following statement:
“There are existing proposals that would offer real solutions to accelerate the deployment of clean energy without sacrificing the climate and public health for fossil fuel executives’ profits. It is possible, and necessary, to unleash renewable energy and supercharge the clean economy without undermining bedrock environmental laws. Congress must see through this ruse to give handouts to polluters and reject the Dirty Deal.”
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About the Sierra Club
The Sierra Club is America’s largest and most influential grassroots environmental organization, with millions of members and supporters. In addition to protecting every person's right to get outdoors and access the healing power of nature, the Sierra Club works to promote clean energy, safeguard the health of our communities, protect wildlife, and preserve our remaining wild places through grassroots activism, public education, lobbying, and legal action. For more information, visit www.sierraclub.org.