NEPA

On July 16, 2020, the President’s Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) finalized an overhaul of the guidelines for implementing the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) regulations (rule). Supporters of the new regulations applauded the changes, but the states and numerous national environmental groups vowed to challenge the new rule in the courts. The timing of the final rule just prior to the Presidential election in November will also create a great deal of uncertainty for projects currently undergoing NEPA reviews and possible delays by those planning projects. Read more

This article was co-authored by Ethan Martin, a student at the George Washington University's Elliott School of International Affairs. The full article can be accessed below. Read more

Implementing the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) over the years has produced a lot of paper, delays, and high costs to make sure that projects consider the environment and adequately mitigate project impacts on proposed energy projects, including renewable energy. Current attempts by the President's Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) to revise the NEPA regulations and procedures will fail unless a cooling-off period coupled with dispute resolution with state agencies is established. Read more