Clean Grid Developers See Teeth in Federal Permitting Deadlines

Electric transmission developers seeking individual permits from multiple federal agencies can soon hold the government accountable, all the way up to the president, for leading a single environmental review process capped at no more than two years.

The Energy Department’s agreement with eight other agencies and offices, finalized this month, is a long-sought move under 18-year-old legal authority that promises to speed clean energy deployment, according to energy and grid analysts.

The deadlines are seen as a short-term regulatory tool as the Biden administration and Congress weigh using federal authority to approve transmission line projects altogether, arguing delays hamper renewable ...