WASHINGTON, D.C. (RFD-TV) — The House passed legislation aimed at speeding up energy and infrastructure development in rural America. The bill, known as the SPEED Act, is designed to reform the federal permitting process, which supporters say has delayed thousands of projects each year.
Western Caucus Chairman Doug LaMalfa has emphasized the need for full passage of the measure, warning that lengthy federal reviews continue to stall critical infrastructure improvements. The bill now heads to the U.S. Senate for consideration.
Jim Matheson, CEO of the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA), joined us on Friday’s Market Day Report to discuss what the SPEED Act could mean for rural electric cooperatives and the communities they serve.
In an interview with RFD-TV News, Matheson explained why permitting reform is a top priority for electric cooperatives, which provide reliable, affordable power to more than 42 million Americans across 48 states. He said delays in federal permitting can slow down essential upgrades and expansions needed to meet growing energy demand in rural areas.
Matheson noted that the SPEED Act has been years in the making and reflects long-standing concerns from co-ops about regulatory bottlenecks. He also discussed how the legislation would streamline permitting under the National Environmental Policy Actand how it complements the PERMIT Act, which focuses on reducing red tape associated with the Clean Water Act. He emphasized that faster, more predictable permitting could ultimately benefit consumers by lowering costs, improving reliability, and allowing electric cooperatives to invest more quickly in infrastructure improvements.
Updated Dicamba information is the topic of today’s Firm to Farm blog post by RFD-TV’s agri-legal expert Roger McEowen with the Washburn School of Law.
February 27, 2024 11:19 AM
·
In this Firm to Farm blog post by RFD-TV legal expert Roger McEowen, he looks ahead at what might be the biggest issues in ag law and tax in 2024.
February 23, 2024 01:50 PM
·
In part seven of his blog series,"Top 10 Developments in Ag Law and Tax in 2023,” agri-legal expert Roger McEowen covers the #1 issues, SCOTUS and defining a “Water of the United States.”
February 22, 2024 01:15 PM
·
In part six of his blog series,"Top 10 Developments in Ag Law and Tax in 2023,” farm legal expert Roger McEowen tackles issue #2, foreign ownership of ag land.
February 02, 2024 08:00 AM
·
In part five of his blog series, “Top 10 Developments in Ag Law and Tax in 2023,” Roger McEowen tackles issue number three, California’s Prop 12 pork regulations.
February 01, 2024 04:06 PM
·
In part four of his blog series, “Top 10 Developments in Ag Law and Tax in 2023,” Roger McEowen tackles issue number four, the Employment Retention Credit.
January 31, 2024 09:00 AM
·
In part three of his blog series, “Top 10 Developments in Ag Law and Tax in 2023,” Roger McEowen covers the Corps of Engineers’ mismanagement of Missouri River water levels.
January 30, 2024 02:29 PM
·
Two more key developments in ag law and taxation from 2023, a crackdown on biodiesel fraud and developments in self-employment taxation (#7 and #6), are the topic of today’s Firm to Farm blog post, the second in a series by RFD-TV agri-legal expert Roger McEowen.
January 18, 2024 12:44 PM
·
The start of the review of the most important ag law and tax developments of 2023—that is the topic of today’s Firm to Farm blog post by RFD-TV agri-legal expert Roger A. McEowen
January 04, 2024 12:20 PM
·
