Permitting Reform Done Right
We Have the Opportunity to Serve People and the Planet, Not More Fossil Fuels
Drake Starling
October 21, 2025
This fall, one of the most pressing environmental debates in Congress will center on permitting reform – how, and how quickly, our country approves energy projects like pipelines, transmission lines, and renewable energy facilities. At first glance, “permitting reform” might sound like bureaucratic jargon. But what’s at stake are the health of our communities, the integrity of our democracy, and the future of our climate.
What Is Permitting Reform?
Federal permitting rules—especially under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA)—require agencies to review the environmental and community impacts of major projects before shovels hit the ground. They ensure that new projects don’t poison water, destroy sacred lands, or trap entire regions in decades of fossil fuel pollution. They are also one of the only tools of Indigenous Nations and local communities to demand consultation and protect their rights.
Some lawmakers argue that these safeguards take too long and stand in the way of building more clean energy infrastructure. But too often, “reform” proposals that claim to “fast-track renewables” also open the door for more oil and gas pipelines, petrochemical plants, and mining projects that cause harm. Without careful attention, “permitting reform” risks becoming a cover for environmental rollbacks.
Why It Matters for Climate Justice
If designed thoughtfully, permitting reform could be part of the solution to climate change – helping us rapidly expand wind, solar, and transmission lines needed to replace polluting power plants. But if designed poorly, it could lock us into decades of additional fossil fuel extraction, disproportionately harming low-income communities and communities of color who already live on the frontlines of pollution.
This is why NETWORK insists that climate justice must guide any reform. Catholic Social Justice reminds us that every person has the right to clean air, safe water, and a healthy environment. Sacrificing communities for the sake of speed is not progress – it is injustice.
Permitting reform isn’t just about today’s projects. It’s about the world we are building for our children and grandchildren. The choices Congress makes this fall will determine whether future generations inherit cleaner air, thriving ecosystems, and resilient communities or a planet scarred by short-sighted extraction and political expediency. As people of faith, we are called to be good ancestors: to plant trees whose shade we may never sit under, to safeguard creation so that tomorrow’s children can breathe freely, drink safely, and live with dignity on a planet that still feels like home.
NETWORK’s Priorities
As Congress considers proposals this fall, NETWORK will continue to stress three core principles:
- Protect Communities: Any permitting reform must strengthen—not weaken—requirements for environmental review and community consultation, especially with Tribal Nations and frontline communities.
- Prioritize Clean Energy: Reforms should speed up the build-out of renewables and transmission, not lock in new fossil fuel projects.
- Advance Justice: True reform must advance racial and environmental justice by addressing the legacy of pollution and disinvestment in communities of color. Places like Anacostia in D.C. and “Cancer Alley” in Louisiana deserve clean air, safe water, and a say in decisions that affect their health and future – not to be treated as sacrifice zones for industry.
What You Can Do: Call on Congress
Now is the time to make your voice heard. Members of Congress need to hear clearly: Permitting reform should only move forward if it speeds the clean energy transition – not if it expands fossil fuel infrastructure. Our leaders must not be swayed by industry lobbyists who want to use “reform” as a backdoor for more pipelines and polluting projects.
You can help by contacting your Senators and Representatives and urging them to:
- Support permitting reforms that accelerate renewable energy deployment and modernize the electric grid.
- Oppose any effort to weaken NEPA or roll back environmental reviews that protect public health and ensure community input.
- Reject reforms that lock us into decades of fossil fuel dependence.
Together, we can shape a permitting system that truly serves the common good.
A Vision of Permitting Reform Rooted in Justice
Permitting reform is not simply a policy debate; it is a moral question. Will we allow fossil fuel companies to weaken protections in the name of “progress”? Or will we ensure reforms truly serve the common good, speeding the transition to renewable energy while safeguarding health, land, and water for generations to come?
This fall, NETWORK will be urging Congress to choose the latter: a vision of permitting rooted in justice, consultation, and care for creation. Together, we can make sure the road to clean energy is paved not with shortcuts for polluters, but with pathways to justice.
Register for NETWORK’s Next Webinar: Protecting Creation: Federal Rollbacks, Legislative Action, and Faith in Climate Justice
Tuesday, October 28, 2025 at 7:00 PM EDT
Link to attend this virtual event will be emailed upon RSVP. RSVP here.
