Sponsors (12)
The bill expedites construction and expansion of semiconductor and critical-mineral facilities (supporting national-security and economic goals) by allowing presidential waivers and fee-based compliance, at the cost of greater localized pollution risk, potential cost increases for consumers, and centralized waiver authority that could weaken environmental safeguards.
Owners/operators of semiconductor and critical-mineral facilities can build or expand with fewer permitting delays when the President waives offset requirements for national-security reasons.
State governments and facility operators gain a clear alternative compliance pathway (innovative offsets or emissions fees) that allows critical industry investment to proceed while still requiring annual efforts to secure offsets.
State governments may use emissions fees (when offsets are unavailable) to fund local emissions-reduction projects, prioritizing air-quality improvements in affected areas.
Communities located near qualifying facilities may experience higher local pollution if offsets are waived, worsening air quality and health outcomes.
Giving the President unilateral, non-delegable waiver power centralizes authority and risks weakening environmental protections for political or strategic reasons.
Emissions fees (set up to 1.5x recent control costs) could raise compliance costs that are passed on to consumers, taxpayers, or small businesses without guaranteeing equivalent local air-quality benefits.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Allows the President to waive Clean Air Act offset requirements for semiconductor and specified critical mineral facilities for national security and lets states accept alternatives or charge an emissions fee.
Introduced December 3, 2025 by Gary James Palmer · Last progress December 3, 2025
Allows the President to waive Clean Air Act offset requirements for new or modified major semiconductor manufacturing, semiconductor equipment manufacturing, and Secretary of the Interior–designated critical mineral facilities when the President determines it is in U.S. national security interests (the determination cannot be delegated). States must let these facilities use alternative or innovative ways to compensate for emissions when conventional offsets aren’t reasonably available; if offsets remain unavailable, states may charge an emissions fee (up to 1.5 times the area’s recent average control cost) and must use collected fees to maximize emissions reductions.