The bipartisan Permitting Work Group of the National Governors Association is urging Congress to move quickly on federal permit reform and in a letter to Congress last week offered “a set of commonsense compromises” that they believe can meet the moment.
“On October 28, the National Governors Association’s bipartisan Permitting Work Group sent a letter to Congress urging lawmakers to deliver comprehensive permitting reform to build critical infrastructure, reduce energy costs, and drive AI innovation,” IEC’s federal lobbyist and Government Affairs Solutions, LLC Principal and CEO Ben Brubeck said. “The NGA’s letter captures many of the recommendations made by IEC to Congress and echoes permit reform legislation and regulatory proposals championed by IEC to facilitate faster and better construction, energy, utility, and infrastructure projects.”
“IEC will continue to encourage Congress to swiftly pass permit reform and drive America’s economic growth.”
The NGA’s letter proposed a package of cross-cutting reforms that would streamline federal agency reviews, overhaul nuclear energy and interstate energy transmission regulations, and address provisions in the National Environmental Policy Act and the Clean Water Act that have resulted in permit-related delays and industry frustration.
IEC and 500+ organizations from every U.S. state joined a U.S. Chamber of Commerce coalition letter September 3 calling on Congress to enact meaningful legislation to modernize America’s permitting process. In October, the White House and Congress made steady progress highlighting the need for permit reform, as reported by IEC on Oct. 13.
If you have any real-world permitting horror stories/feedback, please send them to Jeremy Croft and Ben Brubeck so IEC can incorporate them into our advocacy messaging and efforts.