Provisions on Interregional Planning and Accelerated Judicial Review are Key to Energy Leadership and National Security
Washington, D.C.—The Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee has unveiled a bipartisan permitting reform proposal led by Chairman Joe Manchin (I-W.Va.) and Ranking Member John Barrasso (R-Wyo.). In response, SAFE experts issued the following statements:
Robbie Diamond, Founder and CEO, SAFE:
“We can’t unlock our energy, mineral, and industrial potential without addressing permitting, which is acknowledged across the energy industry as a primary barrier to developing essential transmission infrastructure and bringing energy and mineral resources to bear. This bipartisan permitting and transmission reform package represents welcome and necessary progress towards meeting our surging power needs. We applaud the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee for their thorough and diligent work on developing this proposal, and urge its expeditious advancement to the President’s desk.”
Danielle Russo, Executive Director, SAFE’s Center for Grid Security:
“American strength and competitiveness depend on modernized energy infrastructure—the Energy Permitting Reform Act brings the United States closer to an energy standard that national defense communities can lean on to achieve their goals.
“Specifically, we commend the committee for recognizing that interregional planning is our clearest path to unlocking the full potential of our domestic energy resources. Combined with accelerating the judicial review processes—which can last up to 18 years—these provisions provide a meaningful opportunity to build a grid that will keep America safe, secure, and prosperous.”
Abigail Hunter, Executive Director of SAFE’s Center for Critical Minerals Strategy:
“Critical minerals are the backbone of our modern economy, but the current permitting landscape creates investment uncertainty undermining the United States’ ability to meaningfully source minerals at home. This reform package supports our domestic mineral security by changing the investment calculus for upstream projects, and by ensuring that we have the sufficient transmission and energy infrastructure to fuel the mines, refineries, and processing facilities as we reindustrialize.
“Successful permitting guarantees the objectivity of process, ability to implement the process, and clarity of the process—we applaud this effort and look forward to working with both parties on finalization and passage.”
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SAFE is an action-oriented, nonpartisan organization committed to transportation, energy, and supply chain policies that advance the economic and national security of the United States, its partners, and allies. Since 2004, SAFE has worked with its Energy Security Leadership Council—a peerless coalition of current and former Fortune 500 CEOs and retired 4-star admirals and generals—to support secure, resilient, and sustainable energy solutions. Learn more at SecureEnergy.org
SAFE’s Center for Grid Security provides policy analysis and recommendations to address challenges facing the nation’s electrical infrastructure from a national security perspective. GSP leverages the perspectives of business and former military leaders to support expanded access to reliable and affordable electric power for economic growth, transportation electrification and reindustrialization.
