Last week, the PA Chamber took part in two important events regarding energy and permitting reform: a U.S. Chamber “Permit America to Build” kick-off event, ahead of expected bipartisan efforts in Congress to streamline red tape; and the PA Chamber’s spring Energy and Environmental Policy Briefing with leaders from Gov. Shapiro’s administration, the Department of Energy’s Office of Fossil Energy and Carbon Management, the PA Public Utility Commission and the state Senate.

At the PA Chamber’s briefing, Dr. Jennifer Wilcox of the U.S. DOE discussed the potential for carbon capture in Pennsylvania, as well as other decarbonization efforts in industrial contexts. PA PUC Chairwoman Gladys Brown Dutreiuelle engaged in a discussion about the PUC’s reaction to Winter Storm Elliot challenging the grid last December and her work as part of the NARUC-FERC joint task force on transmission siting.

PA Sen. Gene Yaw, chairman of the Senate Environmental Resources and Energy Committee, provided an update on several energy and transportation bills that have already passed the Senate and additional legislation that may be considered this session, including bills that would clarify when spills must be reported and establish a regulatory framework for carbon capture.

The PA Chamber members-only event also included discussions with Ben Kirshner, the Governor’s chief transformation officer, and Brian Regli, director of the Office of Critical Investments, who outlined their approach to streamlining permits and the deployment of federal infrastructure funding. The PA Chamber thanks the generous support of Energy and Environmental Policy Briefing sponsors GZA GeoEnvironmental, Eckert Seamans and Bentley Systems.

The U.S. Chamber’s “Permit America to Build” event featured leaders from both parties and chambers of Congress, including Senators Shelly Moore Capito and Joe Manchin from West Virginia, as they look to advance a comprehensive permitting reform bill this summer. The U.S. House already passed H.R. 1, which includes a number of regulatory reform components for energy and transportation projects; and the senators indicated discussions around the debt ceiling may provide a catalyst for compromise on permitting reform.