Las Vegas, Nev. – Senators Catherine Cortez Masto and Jacky Rosen joined Nevada leaders from labor unions, the clean energy industry, and environmental organizations for a conversation on priorities related to federal permitting reform. The discussion covered building on the investments in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and the Inflation Reduction Act to create additional good jobs in the state that lead to careers, ensure workers are paid fair wages and benefits, accelerate the deployment of clean energy, and maintain public input and community engagement.
Senators Cortez Masto and Rosen will take these priorities and ideas back to the Senate as Congress considers updating the federal permitting process for energy and infrastructure projects on public lands.
“The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and Inflation Reduction Act have delivered big investments to Nevada, and we should be making it easier to get these projects off the ground,” said Senator Cortez Masto. “I was pleased to join so many Nevada community leaders here today to talk about how we can cut through red tape to better upgrade our infrastructure, create good-paying union jobs, and spur clean-energy development right here in Nevada.”
“Improving our current permitting processes is key for the construction of clean energy projects that will create good-paying union jobs in Nevada,” said Senator Rosen. “As we continue to implement historic investments from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and the Inflation Reduction Act, we can help speed up the process by cutting bureaucratic red tape.”
“Senators Cortez Masto and Rosen delivered historic investments in our transportation, energy and water infrastructure in Nevada, and that means good-paying careers for union carpenters,” said Frank Hawk, Executive Secretary-Treasurer of the Southwest Mountain States Regional Council of Carpenters. “We appreciate the opportunity to share our priorities with our Senators as Congress considers updates to the federal permitting process, including ensuring that workers receive fair pay and benefits with prevailing wage provisions, projects are informed by the needs of working families in communities, and energy investments lead to lower power bills for families.”
“It’s not enough to just deploy as many clean energy projects as possible to combat the effects of climate change,” said Chris Brooks, VP of External Affairs at Arevia Power, a large developer of clean energy projects across the region. “These projects must be developed in ways that respect local stakeholders, especially Tribal Nations, protect critical environmental and cultural sites, and create quality union jobs right here in our communities. Thank you to Senators Cortez Masto and Rosen, my longtime friends in labor and the environmental community, and all who are working together to advance these common goals.”
“We are thankful to Senators Catherine Cortez Masto and Jacky Rosen as well as the Biden Administration for the several avenues they have provided the public to engage in federal permitting reforms, and enhanced land management,” said Jocelyn Torres, Senior Conservation Director at Conservation Lands Foundation. “These reforms work best packaged together, as addressing climate change requires a holistic view and action plan. We are also thankful for their recognition that greater investments are needed in the Bureau of Land Management to successfully implement these reforms, manage the largest amount of public lands, and ensure effective use of the historic investments committed through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and the Inflation Reduction Act.”
“The Nevada Conservation League fully supports the rapid and equitable deployment of renewable energy, and our success depends on upgrading our transmission infrastructure across the West,” said Kristee Watson, Deputy Director at Nevada Conservation League. “Thanks to the leadership of Senators Cortez Masto and Rosen, Nevada and the entire region is making major progress toward meeting renewable energy goals, while creating well-paying, union jobs. We are confident that long-term, interregional planning that assesses environmental impacts and prioritizes environmental justice for tribes and community stakeholders will lead to less pollution, a stronger, more resilient economy, and a healthier Nevada.”
“We are grateful to have true champions of union labor here in Nevada,” said Ronnie Young, Lead Organizer and Government Affairs Director, IBEW Local 357. “Senators Cortez Masto and Rosen have been instrumental for the bright future of clean energy jobs in Nevada and we thank them for working on permitting reform to expedite the ability to get more boots on the ground.”