Getting Permitting Reform Right with Representative Susie Lee
“Who suffers? It’s the American people. It’s people who want to bring their energy costs down. For me it’s not an either/or, it’s an all-of-the-above forms of energy.”
Representative Susie Lee, NV-03
SEIA’s Good Energy podcast kicks off Season 2 with Representative Susie Lee of Nevada, giving insight into the permitting reform negotiations on Capitol Hill and why solar needs permitting certainty in this legislation.
As Americans face rising energy costs, Rep. Lee points out that solar is the quickest energy technology to build, and that residential energy installers in her home state of Nevada had saved an average of $1,400 thanks to the tax credits that had previously been in place.
In late 2025, as the House of Representatives debated the SPEED Act to accelerate the process of permitting much-needed energy projects, Rep. Lee pushed for language to guarantee that solar projects would be weighed equally to other energy technologies in the permitting pipeline, a reaction to directives at the Department of Interior that specifically slowed down solar’s ability to build. In Nevada alone, there are currently $17 billion worth of solar projects waiting for the green light.
While the SPEED Act ultimately passed the House without guarantees of energy parity, key Senators are insisting on this condition before coming to the negotiating table. In the meantime, Rep. Lee notes that the American people will continue to suffer from the rising cost of electricity, and she emphasizes the need to pressure Senators and the Administration to understand how the existing landscape is contributing to rising prices.
Rep. Lee concludes with a call for high-level coordination among all energy stakeholders to ensure America is bringing on the generation and infrastructure needed, and that certainty is guaranteed for developers. She believes there is bipartisan support for renewable energy, noting the high renewable generation potential in red states, and emphasizes the need for midterm elections messaging centered around the impacts of rising energy bills.
From in-depth interviews with industry leaders to insightful discussions on the rapid growth of solar and storage in the United States, Good Energy connects you with the heartbeat of the solar industry. Whether you’re a seasoned professional or just curious about the future of energy, tune in to stay informed and inspired about the bright future of solar. Listen to full episodes on YouTube, Spotify, and Apple Podcasts.
special guest
Rep. Susie Lee
United States Representative
NV-03
Since being elected to Congress in 2018, Susie has worked relentlessly with Democrats and Republicans alike to achieve real results for Nevada families. She helped negotiate and get signed into law the once-in-generation Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and the Inflation Reduction Act, which lowered prescription drug costs for seniors and is the single biggest climate investment in U.S. history. Both bills are creating hundreds of thousands of jobs across the country.
Susie has led bipartisan legislation that was signed into law to help lower housing costs, protect Nevada’s water supply, expand access to health care, protect children from online sexual exploitation, and improve veterans’ healthcare. Susie has also secured over $5.6 billion for Nevada through grants and federal investments.
Susie has been ranked the number one most bipartisan member of Congress among all U.S. Representatives, Senators, and governors. She sits on the House Appropriations Committee. She is a member of the bipartisan Problem Solvers Caucus and New Democrats Coalition.
Susie is a battle-tested perennial Member of Congress who has won her swing district in the swing state of Nevada four times. Her district has a plurality of non-partisan voters. This Congress, Susie was elected Battleground Leadership Representative, a position she created in 2022 to ensure that Democratic House members representing the most competitive districts in the country have a seat at the Democratic Caucus leadership table.
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