The fossil fuel industry is not the only industry likely to benefit from speeding up environmental reviews, however. A 2021 report from the R Street Institute found that 42% of Department of Energy projects actively under NEPA review at that time were “related to clean energy, transmission or environmental conservation.” By contrast, only 15% were fossil fuel related, and most of those related to natural gas, which often displaces dirtier coal.

Nevertheless, capping the length of time a project may be under NEPA review may not be the silver bullet some reformers hope. The R Street report notes that faster NEPA review times can correspond with lower quality analysis, which can create problems when litigation ensues. Paradoxically, mandating shorter review times could make it harder for projects to move forward, if rushed analysis means projects’ environmental impacts are unclear to courts.

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