Lawyers Warn DOE Loan Office’s Plan To Skip NEPA Raises Legal Risks

Lawyers are warning that a plan from the Energy Department’s (DOE) Loan Programs Office to decline to conduct National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) reviews for projects that it finances raises substantial legal risks, and that it could ultimately jeopardize some projects that the Trump administration supports. The administrative effort to streamline permitting comes as Trump officials recently reoriented the LPO to include fossil fuel projects rather than focus on low-carbon energy. “There are a number of potential legal risks with...