Utah 2025 Regular Session

Utah House Bill HCR005 Compare Versions

Version 1 (Old)

Version 2 (New)

Old	New		Differences
1		-	~~Enrolled Copy~~ H.C.R. 5
	1	+	01-14 15:38 H.C.R. 5
2	2		1
3	3		House Concurrent Resolution on Permitting Reform
4	4		2025 GENERAL SESSION
5	5		STATE OF UTAH
6	6		Chief Sponsor: Melissa G. Ballard
7		-	Senate Sponsor: Keven J. Stratton
8	7		2
9	8
10	9		3
11	10		LONG TITLE
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13	12		General Description:
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15	14		This concurrent resolution urges Congress to enact reforms to federal permitting policies to
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17	16		accelerate deployment of new energy infrastructure.
18	17		7
19	18		Highlighted Provisions:
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21	20		This resolution:
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23	22		▸ recognizes the importance of domestic energy production for national security and
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25	24		economic competitiveness;
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27	26		▸ highlights issues with current federal permitting processes that delay energy infrastructure
28	27		12
29	28		development;
30	29		13
31	30		▸ details specific problems with current permitting timelines and processes;
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33	32		▸ emphasizes the need for streamlined permitting while maintaining environmental
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35	34		protection; and
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37	36		▸ urges Congress to enact specific reforms to federal permitting and environmental review
38	37		17
39	38		processes.
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41	40		Money Appropriated in this Bill:
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43	42		None
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45	44		Other Special Clauses:
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47	46		None
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49	48
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51	50		Be it resolved by the Legislature of the state of Utah, the Governor concurring therein:
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53	52		WHEREAS, abundant, resilient, and diversified domestic energy production enhances
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55	54		American national security, economic competitiveness, and energy independence;
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57	56		WHEREAS, environmental stewardship that protects air, water, public health, biodiversity,
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59		-	species protection, and public lands remains an important goal; ~~H.C.R. 5 Enrolled Copy~~
	58	+	species protection, and public lands remains an important goal;
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61	60		WHEREAS, federal permitting and environmental review processes under the National
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63	62		Environmental Policy Act, the Endangered Species Act, the National Historic Preservation
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65	64		Act, Clean Water Act, and dozens of other federal requirements have become unnecessarily
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67		-	complex and cumbersome;
	66	+	complex and cumbersome; H.C.R. 5 01-14 15:38
68	67		32
69	68		WHEREAS, energy is produced in the United States at much higher environmental
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71	70		standards than in countries from which energy is imported, making prevention of domestic
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73	72		production counterproductive to environmental stewardship;
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75	74		WHEREAS, permitting inefficiencies delay construction of essential energy infrastructure
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77	76		components needed to support economic competitiveness, enhance reliability, prevent
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79	78		blackouts, and lower costs;
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81	80		WHEREAS, electricity demand in the United States is projected to increase dramatically,
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83	82		requiring substantial increases in domestic energy production and more than doubling of
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85	84		transmission capacity;
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87	86		WHEREAS, over 2,000 gigawatts of energy production and storage are delayed in
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89	88		interconnection queues, and average interconnection times have nearly doubled from
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91	90		approximately two years to nearly four years;
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93	92		WHEREAS, environmental impact statements under the National Environmental Policy
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95	94		Act now take an average of four-and-a-half years to process;
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97	96		WHEREAS, the United States relies heavily on foreign nations, particularly China, for
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99	98		critical minerals, with demand projected to increase by more than 40 times by 2040;
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101	100		WHEREAS, other developed nations with similar environmental goals, such as Canada and
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103	102		Australia, permit new mines within two to three years compared to nearly 10 years in the
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105	104		United States;
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107	106		WHEREAS, both linear infrastructure and energy generation infrastructure face
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109	108		extraordinary delays due to overlitigation, inappropriate blocking by unrepresentative groups,
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111	110		and excessive use of the court system;
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113	112		WHEREAS, project delays dramatically increase costs, reduce viability, and burden
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115	114		consumers, businesses, and taxpayers while making our energy system less reliable;
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117	116		WHEREAS, overlapping federal permitting requirements lack flexibility to allow efforts
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119	118		that reflect the spirit and intent of environmental laws rather than mere procedural compliance;
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121	120		WHEREAS, inefficient permitting processes increase dependence on energy produced by
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123	122		foreign dictators and authoritarian regimes;
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125	124		WHEREAS, permitting delays limit infrastructure modernization that would create a more
126	125		61
127	126		efficient energy system with reduced emissions and environmental impact;
128		-	- 2 - Enrolled Copy H.C.R. 5
129	127		62
130	128		WHEREAS, failure to reform federal permitting laws results in reduced jobs, security, and
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132	130		economic opportunities; and
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134	132		WHEREAS, failure to reform these laws will result in greater limitations on energy
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136	134		infrastructure, more lost American jobs, higher costs for consumers and businesses, and
	135	+	- 2 - 01-14 15:38 H.C.R. 5
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138	137		increased vulnerability to unreliability and blackouts, causing severe harm to the American
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140	139		people:
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142	141		NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Legislature of the state of Utah, the
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144	143		Governor concurring therein, urges Congress to enact legislation reforming federal permitting
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146	145		and environmental review processes to promote economic and environmental stewardship by
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148	147		expediting energy infrastructure deployment.
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150	149		BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that these reforms should enable faster, lower-cost
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152	151		construction of energy infrastructure of all kinds, without prejudice, by:
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154	153		(1) limiting excessive use of judicial processes that inappropriately delay projects;
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156	155		(2) preventing inappropriate usage of environmental and other federal laws to hamstring
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158	157		linear energy infrastructure construction;
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160	159		(3) reforming processes for planning, permitting, and funding electricity transmission
161	160		78
162	161		infrastructure to support a more reliable energy grid that lowers costs; and
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164	163		(4) enabling domestic development of the full array of modern energy technologies,
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166	165		including nuclear, emissions management, hydrogen, critical mineral mining and processing,
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168	167		and all other needs for a modern energy system.
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170	169		BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that these reforms should ensure accountability for federal
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172	171		agencies conducting permitting and environmental review processes through better data
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174	173		collection, aggressive timelines, and permitting shot clocks.
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176	175		BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that these legislative reforms must be accompanied by a
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178	177		redoubling of efforts to streamline federal regulations to support efficient building of new
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180	179		energy infrastructure.
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182	181		BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that Congress must act with urgency in the coming months
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184	183		to prevent further harm to consumers, workers, and businesses, while protecting United States
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186	185		competitiveness and reducing vulnerability to both foreign adversaries and domestic outages.
187	186		91
188	187		BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that copies of this resolution be sent to the President of the
189	188		92
190	189		United States, the Majority Leader of the United States Senate, the Speaker of the United
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192	191		States House of Representatives, and the members of Utah's congressional delegation.
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