Without these permitting reforms we risk a future of energy scarcity as demand is surging from national priorities—including advanced manufacturing and artificial intelligence—that are key to our security, prosperity, and competitiveness.
Washington, D.C.—In advance of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee’s markup of the Energy Permitting Reform Act of 2024, SAFE has submitted a letter in support of the legislation. Read the full letter here [PDF] and below:
Dear Chairman Manchin and Ranking Member Barrasso:
On behalf of SAFE, a non-partisan organization focused on energy policy solutions that advance the nation’s economic and national security, we write to express our strong support for the Energy Permitting Reform Act of 2024 and to urge its expeditious passage through the committee, as well as both chambers of Congress.
Permitting delays are a significant impediment to completing essential energy projects and diversifying mineral supply chains starting at home. This bipartisan legislation represents a crucial step towards modernizing our nation’s infrastructure while reducing our reliance on foreign adversaries for energy, critical materials, and strategic commercial and military technologies.
Our national security is strengthened by many of the bill’s provisions, including:
- Streamlining the permitting process for energy projects—which will significantly reduce delays and costs associated with building critical infrastructure—and expediting judicial review for energy and minerals projects.
- Setting ambitious goals for wind and solar development on public lands and offshore wind capacity, unlocking our potential as a renewable energy superpower.
- Mandating collaborative interregional planning, the lack of which has been identified as a significant barrier to building a more resilient and efficient grid.
- Providing certainty that the full spectrum of mining activities can be performed on federal land to support high-standard development of American critical mineral resources. Since 2002, three U.S. mines have come online, and none are on federal lands.
- Providing mechanisms for community input early in the process and requiring fair cost allocation. This prevents cost increases for ratepayers who do not benefit from upgrades, and ensures that local perspectives are incorporated while still expediting necessary projects.
These common sense provisions are crucial for realizing the full potential of our energy resources, onshoring critical supply chains, and ensuring energy availability for critical defense applications. Without these permitting reforms we risk a future of energy scarcity as demand is surging from national priorities—including advanced manufacturing and artificial intelligence—that are key to our security, prosperity, and competitiveness.
The Energy Permitting Reform Act of 2024 has garnered support from a broad coalition of stakeholders from across the energy industry and on both sides of the aisle, underscoring the balanced approach taken in the legislation.
SAFE strongly supports this important legislation to accelerate our energy progress, reduce carbon emissions, lower energy costs for Americans, and strengthen our energy security.
Thank you for your leadership and consideration of this critical issue.
Last week, in response to the introduction of the legislative package, SAFE’s experts issued these statements.
