NEPA Final Rule Unlikely To Speed Clean Energy Projects

On May 1, the Council on Environmental Quality — a White House agency charged with implementing the National Environmental Policy Act — issued a new final rule purportedly aimed at streamlining NEPA reviews to speed up the construction of renewable energy and other electricity-related infrastructure.

According to the White House press briefing, the new rule is intended to:

• "Accelerate the deployment of clean energy, transmission, clean water, high-speed internet, semiconductor manufacturing, and other crucial infrastructure";
• "Address climate change, protect public health, and encourage better environmental 
  outcomes";
• "Advance environmental justice and promote meaningful public input"; and
• "Reverse provisions of the 2020 NEPA rule that were legally questionable."