Input Stories

The NAM this week joined two major efforts urging Congress to enact comprehensive permitting reform.

• The first message—sent with the Chamber of Commerce and other national industry associations—pressed policymakers to modernize permitting systems to unlock critical infrastructure investments by ensuring predictability, efficiency, transparency and stakeholder input.
• The second, co-led by the Foundation for American Innovation and Institute for Progress, argued that the outdated permitting process is holding up essential energy infrastructure needed to keep pace with surging demand—from AI to manufacturing.

Why it matters: “Across the country, communities and businesses are ready to invest in projects that will strengthen our economy and improve quality of life,” the associations and Chamber of Commerce told policymakers in the message to Congress.

• “But too often, outdated and inefficient permitting processes stand in the way, delaying these investments and driving up costs.”

The costs: “These delays not only increase the financial burden of construction due to inflation and rising material and labor costs but also postpone the critical benefits that new and improved infrastructure brings to communities,” they continued.

• “Families and businesses are left waiting for safer roads, better public transit, improved drinking water access, more affordable energy and access to high-speed internet—essentials that drive economic growth, improve public health and enhance quality of life.”

How to fix it: The associations and Chamber of Commerce laid out four principles for reforming the permitting process.

• Predictability: “Project developers and financers must have an appropriate level of certainty regarding the scope and timeline for project reviews, including any related judicial review”;
• Efficiency: “Interagency coordination must be improved to optimize public and private resources while driving better environmental and community outcomes”;
• Transparency: “Project sponsors and the public must have visibility into the project permitting milestones and schedule through an easily accessible public means”; and
• Stakeholder input: “All relevant stakeholders must be adequately informed and have the opportunity to provide input within a reasonable and consistent timeframe.”

Comprehensive permitting reform now: “With electricity demand surging from AI, manufacturing and industrial growth, we need unprecedented levels of new energy production, transmission and pipeline infrastructure—and we need it now,” the NAM, Foundation for American Innovation, Institute for Progress and other coalitions and associations stressed.

• Calling for NEPA reform, the groups emphasized that “today’s permitting system was designed for a different era. While laws like the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 were written with good intentions, they have evolved into procedural gauntlets. … These delays don’t improve environmental outcomes, but they do prevent America from building the infrastructure we need.”
• “Lawmakers must finish the job of reforming permitting this Congress. Faster permitting will mean lower project costs, reduced electricity prices and more competitive manufacturing,” they said.
• The letter was featured in POLITICO’s Morning Energy newsletter (subscription).  

Bipartisan action: Sen. Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV) recently spoke about working with her colleague Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) on finding a path forward on bipartisan permitting reform.

• “We’re going to have a shortage of power if we cannot permit and we cannot move forward with energy development. We have the resources here in this country, but we’ve got to get to permitting,” Sen. Capito said.
• Sen. Whitehouse voted this week in support of Katherine Scarlett, the Trump administration’s pick to join the Council on Environmental Quality—an agency that helps to coordinate the federal environmental review process. The NAM  urged the swift confirmation of Scarlett ahead of the vote.

Other activities: The NAM also hosted key officials from the Trump administration’s National Energy Dominance Council at NAM headquarters this week, as it continues to work closely with the administration to fulfill manufacturers’ energy priorities.