Biden’s Permit Proposal Won’t Set Easy Path for Energy Projects

The White House’s second stab at changing its environmental permitting rules may not spark the kind of clean energy building boom President Joe Biden’s top officials are envisioning, policy analysts say.

In announcing its proposed rule last week, John Podesta, senior adviser to the White House on clean energy, said the changes to the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) would “help build clean energy and infrastructure faster,” a key White House goal.

Alex Herrgott, who led the Federal Permitting Improvement Steering Council during the Trump era, said the proposal would yield only a modest impact on permitting times because they ...