Oregon Dismantling Environmental Reviews in the Name of Renewables?

The Erosion of NEPA and the Illusion of Green Progress

The systematic dismantling of environmental review processes, such as the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and its state-level counterparts, in the context of renewable energy projects across the United States, is a paradox that strikes at the very heart of our struggle for a sustainable world. While the push to decouple our lives from fossil fuels is undeniably crucial in our war against climate change, the manner in which it is being pursued exposes a troubling contradiction that undermines the foundational principles of environmental stewardship and public accountability.

At first glance, the acceleration of renewable energy projects—solar farms, wind turbines, hydroelectric facilities—appears as a noble endeavor, a much-needed pivot from the fossil fuel dependency that has shackled us to an unsustainable trajectory. Yet, as we peel back the layers, a disconcerting narrative unfolds, revealing that this "green rush" is being expedited at the expense of comprehensive environmental review processes designed (at least to some degree) to protect our natural world and the communities that inhabit it.

The Oregon bill is HB 4090 and it seeks to remove Oregon's parallel permitting process to NEPA for "clean" energy project siting (through EFSC, aka Energy Facility Siting Council) on federal lands. The bill was put forward by a known solar developer in Oregon (Jake Stephens) who also paid various legislators this session for their support on this bill. Here is a link to an article about that which came out this week.

The erosion of NEPA and similar state-level regulations is not merely a bureaucratic adjustment; it is a dangerous precedent that threatens to sideline the voices of local communities, indigenous peoples, and environmental advocates. These processes were instituted to ensure that any project, irrespective of its purported benefits, undergoes rigorous scrutiny to assess its environmental impacts, explore alternatives, and involve the public in decision-making. By diluting these reviews, particularly for renewable energy projects, we are bartering away the health of our ecosystems and the well-being of future generations on the altar of expediency.

This trend is emblematic of a broader societal malaise. The relentless pursuit of industrial growth, the insatiable appetite for energy—renewable or not—reflects a civilization at odds with the living planet. We can’t simply "green" our way out of a crisis that is fundamentally rooted in the way we relate to the natural world. The shift to renewable energy is insufficient if it merely perpetuates the extractive, growth-obsessed ethos that precipitated our ecological predicament.

The real tragedy of the erosion of environmental review processes lies in the missed opportunity for genuine transformation. Rather than embracing the climate emergency as a chance to reimagine our relationship with the Earth, to foster truly sustainable communities that operate within ecological limits, we are rushing headlong into a future where the same logic of domination and exploitation prevails, only under a greener guise.

As we stand at this critical juncture, it is imperative that we resist the diminishment of environmental safeguards and advocate for a model of decarbonization that is rooted in principles of ecological integrity, social justice, and intergenerational equity. Let us not be seduced by the false promise of a quick fix. The path to a livable planet is arduous, requiring deep structural changes and a radical reevaluation of our values. It is a path that demands we honor the spirit of laws like NEPA, not erode them in the name of progress. For in the end, what good is a world powered by renewable energy if it is bereft of the very life it was meant to sustain?

Link to the bill information on HB 4090: 

https://olis.oregonlegislature.gov/liz/2024R1/Measures/Overview/HB4090

You can submit written testimony here, it's very straightforward. If you agree with concerns of this email, you are in opposition to the bill!

If you want to give testimony virtually or in person in Salem you can sign up to do that here.