Electric Co-ops Applaud House-Passed Permitting Reforms That Will Boost Affordable Power

ARLINGTON, Va. - National Rural Electric Cooperative Association CEO Jim Matheson issued the following statement in support of the House-passed Standardizing Permitting and Expediting Economic Development ("SPEED") Act. The bill would streamline permitting under the National Environmental Policy Act, reducing barriers to building and maintaining critical electric infrastructure.

"Federal environmental permitting has become increasingly complex, unpredictable, and unworkable over time," Matheson said. "It interferes with co-op efforts to maintain the infrastructure that is essential to keeping the lights on and build new infrastructure to meet growing demand. These hurdles delay critical projects and can significantly increase costs for electric co-op consumers. The SPEED Act will help remedy those problems while providing important regulatory certainty and ensuring reliable electricity for families and businesses across the nation."

NRECA also supports the Promoting Efficient Review for Modern Infrastructure Today ("PERMIT") Act, passed by the full House last week. The bill would improve permitting under the Clean Water Act by cutting red tape and providing greater regulatory certainty for permit holders.

"We're grateful to Reps. Bruce Westerman, R-Ark., and Jared Golden, D-Maine, for championing the SPEED Act and to Reps. Sam Graves, R-Mo., and Mike Collins, R-Ga., for guiding the PERMIT Act to a successful floor vote," Matheson said.

The National Rural Electric Cooperative Association is the national trade association representing nearly 900 local electric cooperatives. From growing suburbs to remote farming communities, electric co-ops serve as engines of economic development for 42 million Americans across 56 percent of the nation's landscape. As local businesses built by the consumers they serve, electric cooperatives have meaningful ties to rural America and invest $15 billion annually in their communities.

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