What a lovely week, kicked off with the college graduation of my baby. To have raised two full-fledged adults is really something, if I do say so myself. The ceremony may have been large, but the speeches meaningful and the traditions moved me. Plus, I can’t hear Pomp and Circumstance and not get teary.
Here we are, soaking in the 90+ degree Eugene sun… (yes, I intentionally wore a dress that matched the school’s color.)
We’re coming at you a day early because of the federal holiday tomorrow!
Now he just needs a job…
This week’s must read: Ask Congress to strike a deal on permitting reform now (Deseret News)
We need a band name for the rockstars out in the Mountain West taking the LTE circuit by storm with their bipartisan calls for climate and climate-adjacent action. Once again, the team lead by Alex Amonette, Madeline Dalrymple, and Karen Jackson was published, this time in the Deseret News.
“Major energy and infrastructure projects require approvals from multiple local, state and federal agencies. Environmental reviews and interagency consultations can stretch timelines far beyond what was originally intended, driving up costs and creating uncertainty for businesses, workers and consumers alike,” they write, noting that “thankfully, energy permitting reform could solve these problems by modernizing the system. Current bipartisan permitting reform proposals include streamlining environmental reviews, improving coordination among agencies, reducing unnecessary delays, strengthening transmission planning, expanding grid capacity and limiting frivolous lawsuits that can stall projects for years.”
And a related quote of the week…
“Permitting reform is huge…We’re going to choke off economic development for the American people, if we don’t get permitting reform,” Senator Bill Cassidy, in an interview with Josh Siegel of E&E Daily News.
They also discuss the Foreign Pollution Fee Act, data centers, and resilience. For the full interview, click here.
Register now for the 10th annual National Clean Energy Week
It may feel like summer just started, but fall is around the corner and that means it’s almost time for the annual National Clean Energy Week, brought to us by Citizens for Responsible Energy Solutions.
The event runs from September 14th through the 18th and you can register here.
Clean energy has been powering communities and driving our economy for decades, and for the last ten years, National Clean Energy Week has brought together the leaders, innovators and policymakers championing it. Celebrate a decade of this beloved initiative and the enduring bipartisan commitment to America’s clean energy future.
The signature Policymakers Symposium (my favorite part) will be held in person and livestreamed, featuring panels of experts, policymakers, researchers and investors. I’m marking my calendar (for in person) already… are you?
Faith Matters
I was intrigued by the latest results of Angela Larck’s EcoRight poll and her dissection of these results. For example, she posed the question: what’s the biggest role people of faith should play in addressing climate change?
The results were remarkably close. In fact, no single response captured more than about one-third of the vote:
- 35% Advocate for practical, common-sense solutions
- 33% Lead by example through personal actions
- 28% Encourage action within churches and faith communities
“What struck me about these results is that respondents weren’t rallying around one strategy,” Angela noted. “Instead, they pointed to three different but complementary ways people of faith can engage. Some see stewardship primarily as public leadership and advocacy. Others emphasize personal responsibility and leading by example. Still others view churches and faith communities as important places for conversation and action.”
We learn something with every poll, so don’t sleep on the next chance to participate. In fact, we’re asking for your help now. Share with us which of the below cards you’d flip over.
And that brings us to the end of the road. I’ll be leaving the wilds of Oregon and back at my real desk next week bringing you all the greats. Have a great long weekend!