Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee vote to fast-track fossil fuel infrastructure and weaken public input

GreenLatinos Highlights How the Energy Permitting Reform Act of 2024 Weakens Environmental Protections and Favors Fossil Fuels 

Washington, D.C. — Earlier today, the Senate Committee on Natural Resources and Energy voted 15 to 4 to move forward with the Energy Permitting Reform Act. Despite strong opposition from environmental groups, with over 360 groups signing an opposition letter, the bill was pushed forward, favoring the fast-tracking of fossil fuel projects while undermining critical environmental protections and public input. 

Following the vote during the committee hearing, GreenLatinos Climate Justice & Clean Air Program Director Irene Burga released the following statement: 

“GreenLatinos expresses our deep disappointment with the Senate Committee on Natural Resources and Energy's decision to move forward with the Energy Permitting Reform Act of 2024. We thank Senators Hirono, Sanders, and Wyden for their votes against this legislation. 

Any favorable aspects of the bill related to clean energy and transmission buildout are overshadowed by the blatant fossil fuel handouts and come at the expense of communities. This bill aims to open major areas of our public lands and waters for drilling, gut judicial review to let mining companies dump even more waste on our public lands, and reverse President Biden's pause on LNG exports. We will fight against this bill, and we call on the Senate Leader Schumer and the rest of the Senate Democrats to reject this bill as it advances to the next steps.” 

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About GreenLatinos

GreenLatinos (NOTE: GreenLatinos is ONE WORD) is an active comunidad of Latino/a/e leaders, emboldened by the power and wisdom of our culture, united to demand equity and dismantle racism, resourced to win our environmental, conservation, and climate justice battles, and driven to secure our political, economic, cultural, and environmental liberation.