The TransWest Express case study really undercuts the premise here. If a 16-year delay stemmed from issues outsdie NEPA disputes, then reforming NEPA won't fix the actual bottleneck. The deeper problem is that federal reforms dont touch state siting authority, which is where most transmission delays actually happen. California's timeline alone can stretch years regardless of federal review speed. Without addressing the state-by-state patchwork or establishing clearer federal coordination, we're basically optimizng the wrong part of the process.
Thanks for your comment; I think it generally aligns with the conclusions of this post: without broad reform at the federal level that addresses differences between state regulations, tinkering with NEPA won’t materially improve the current situation.
The TransWest Express case study really undercuts the premise here. If a 16-year delay stemmed from issues outsdie NEPA disputes, then reforming NEPA won't fix the actual bottleneck. The deeper problem is that federal reforms dont touch state siting authority, which is where most transmission delays actually happen. California's timeline alone can stretch years regardless of federal review speed. Without addressing the state-by-state patchwork or establishing clearer federal coordination, we're basically optimizng the wrong part of the process.
Thanks for your comment; I think it generally aligns with the conclusions of this post: without broad reform at the federal level that addresses differences between state regulations, tinkering with NEPA won’t materially improve the current situation.