Building America’s Energy Future: The Case for Federal Permitting Reform
America is experiencing the largest surge in electricity demand in modern history. The rapid growth of advanced manufacturing, electrification, reshoring, and data centers are making the U.S. economy more energy-intensive by the year. Projections show electricity demand could rise as much as 50 percent by 2040. Massive new investments in power generation, transmission, pipelines, ports, and energy infrastructure are desperately needed, and Louisiana is crucial to making it happen. Meeting this demand isn’t a technological challenge. It is a regulatory challenge, and, right now, Congress holds the key.
A Federal System Built for Delay, Not Delivery
The National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) was enacted more than 50 years ago, long before the scale, speed, and complexity of today’s energy economy. Over time, NEPA has evolved from a disclosure statute into a tool for endless delay, regulatory gamesmanship, and litigation-driven obstruction. And we end up with a system that’s extraordinarily complex but not notably more protective of the environment. In fact, a 2025 report from the White House Council on Environmental Quality found that most federal Environmental Impact Statements for proposed infrastructure projects take over two years to complete. And that’s just one part of the process.
Major energy projects—whether pipelines, LNG facilities, transmission lines, power plants, or industrial facilities—can spend years in federal review with no clear timeline, no predictable standards, and no guarantee of finality even after permits are issued. Agencies face few consequences for delay, while developers face mounting costs and uncertainty. The result is a system that discourages investment, chills innovation, and turns energy policy into a political pendulum, swinging wildly from administration to administration. There’s a better way forward—one that maintains strong environmental standards while actually getting things built.
Why Congress Matters
Presidents can adjust priorities. Courts can interpret statutes. But only Congress can change the law itself. Real permitting reform needs to be statutory and technology-neutral. That means letting markets, not political winds, determine which projects succeed, as long as they meet clear legal standards. What does good reform look like? At its core, principled permitting reform must provide:
Clarity – Clear rules and realistic timelines everyone can rely on.
Certainty – A predictable system that ensures permits won’t be revoked after they are approved.
Neutrality – Similar standards are applied across all energy technologies.
Without these basics, America can’t build at the pace that’s necessary to keep up with skyrocketing demand or effectively compete with China and other countries around the world.
Recent Progress
This week, the U.S. House of Representatives took a consequential step toward federal permitting reform by narrowly advancing the Standardizing Permitting and Expediting Economic Development (SPEED) Act (H.R. 4776), legislation designed to modernize and streamline NEPA reviews for major infrastructure and energy projects. The House approved the procedural rule governing debate on a razor-thin 215–209 vote, overcoming resistance from a small block of lawmakers spanning both parties who objected to provisions limiting the federal government’s ability to rescind lawfully issued permits. While the vote does not guarantee final passage, it keeps the SPEED Act alive and underscores both the urgency of permitting reform and the fragile coalition required to move it forward amid persistent political and ideological divisions.
Broad Coalition Support
The SPEED Act has backing from oil and gas producers, utilities, manufacturers, and renewable energy developers. When a broad and diverse group such as this agrees on something- anything- it’s worth paying attention. This isn’t about oil versus nuclear, offshore wind versus LNG or fossil fuels versus renewables. It’s about whether America will let any energy project move forward under predictable rules. When the federal permitting process is used and abused like a political football, everyone loses—including American families who pay the price through higher electricity bills and less reliable service.
What’s Next?
Congress has a genuine opportunity here. With some continued work, lawmakers could:
- Pass meaningful federal permitting reform
- Set reasonable timelines for NEPA reviews
- Cut down on duplicative agency processes
- Protect approved permits from political reversals
- Apply reforms equally to all energy types.
This isn’t about lowering environmental standards or picking winners and losers across the energy landscape. It’s about having a workable permitting process that allows America to build, compete and WIN!
The Bottom Line
America doesn’t have an energy supply problem. We have a policy problem. We know how to build power plants, transmission lines, and pipelines. We just need a regulatory system that lets us do it. The December vote proved reform can move forward. Now Congress needs to finish what it started. America’s energy future and our economic competitiveness depend on infrastructure we haven’t built yet. The technology is ready. The investment is waiting. What we need now is a permitting system that works.
