Press Releases

The leaders of the House Sustainable Energy and Environment Coalition (SEEC), including Co-Chairs Reps. Gerry Connolly, Doris Matsui, and Paul Tonko and Vice-Chairs Reps. Matt Cartwright, Alan Lowenthal, A. Donald McEachin, Chellie Pingree, and Mike Quigley, released the following statement following the Senate’s decision to remove permitting language from the Continuing Resolution:

“Our number one priority must be to bring about a clean energy future as rapidly and equitably as possible. We must ensure our federal permitting processes are up to the task of building out the infrastructure necessary to meet our climate goals while also guaranteeing overburdened communities have sufficient input in the process.

“The Inflation Reduction Act opened the door to this future through its historic $369 billion in climate investments. In order to use these investments to their fullest potential, we now must work to ensure that federal laws that were written for the fossil fuel era work for our transition to the clean energy future. This can only be done successfully, though, if disadvantaged communities are at the table, both in the legislative and permitting processes.

“We understand that our electrical grid must expand to support the deployment of renewable energy resources as well as increased demand from the ongoing electrification of our economy. But an electricity system largely powered by renewable energy is only achievable if we have transmission infrastructure in place to bring new clean resources online. Our transmission policies must enable the responsible siting, permitting, and construction of interstate, interregional, and offshore projects at the speed the climate crisis requires.

“We look forward to engaging in an open legislative process on these issues that allows all voices to be heard as we work towards a bill that everyone in favor of a clean energy future can support.”