The House Committee on Natural Resources held a legislative hearing on the Standardizing Permitting and Expediting Economic Development (SPEED) Act, where lawmakers and industry leaders underscored how outdated permitting rules are driving up costs, delaying critical energy and infrastructure projects, and threatening the reliability of the nation’s power grid. Lawmakers emphasized growing bipartisan recognition that America’s permitting system needs to be modernized to keep pace with the country’s energy and infrastructure needs.
Fixing a Broken Process
The SPEED Act (Rep. Bruce Westerman (R-AR) and Rep. Jared Golden (D-ME)) would update the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), the federal law that sets environmental review standards for major projects. Originally intended to ensure careful evaluation of environmental impacts, NEPA has grown into a lengthy and costly process that can stall projects in energy, infrastructure, and technology. The bill would impose clear deadlines for environmental review, limit litigation abuse, and create certainty across projects and administrations.
Committee Chairman and bill sponsor Bruce Westerman (R-AR) noted that the reform is not just about economics, but also about protecting the environment:
“The results of permitting are not only hurting economic development but often times we are missing opportunities to protect and enhance the environment…It is not just people who vote republican coming in my office to tell me that.”
He later added that Congress must seize the opportunity to establish a system that “doesn’t change when the administration changes” and that provides regulatory certainty across sectors.
Rep. Tim Walberg (R-MI) added that the existing system is a “bureaucratic maze,” emphasizing that:
“The SPEED Act presents an opportunity to make lasting change, and I hope we can move this bill forward in the House soon.”
Industry Leaders Sound the Alarm
Industry voices have also echoed the need for permitting reform. The American Petroleum Institute (API) unveiled a policy roadmap calling for durable solutions to clear the backlog of stalled projects. API President and CEO Mike Sommers said:
“American energy is ready to go, but Washington’s broken permitting system is standing in the way. As energy demand rises, critical infrastructure to deliver it is stuck behind red tape. It’s time for Congress to act on durable reforms that ensure access to affordable, reliable, and secure energy – because when America builds, America wins.”
API thanked lawmakers on the bill, posting on social media:
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce also weighed in, highlighting its support in a post:
The IPAA has also repeatedly stressed the need for permitting reform, highlighting the abuse of NEPA in a recent letter with the Foundation for American Innovation:
“While laws like the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA) were written with good intentions, they have evolved into procedural gauntlets. In the 1970s, the NEPA process for highway projects took a mean of 2.2 years to complete. The average time to complete an Environmental Impact Statement and obtain a Record of Decision now takes an average of almost 4 years. The full process is often further slowed because energy projects of all types run into a ‘litigation doom loop’, years of lawsuits and delay that create uncertainty and chill investment. These delays don’t improve environmental outcomes, but they do prevent America from building the infrastructure we need.”
Building Toward Bipartisan Reform
The hearing also made clear that support for reform is not limited to one party or sector. Chairman Westerman told Politico that his goal is to keep the SPEED Act “technology- and project-neutral to create a transparent and fair process.” While debates remain over specific provisions, lawmakers on both sides have acknowledged the need for compromise.
Rep. Seth Magaziner (D-R.I.) expressed interest in advancing permitting reform, noting:
“We need to make it easier to build in this country again.”
Rep. Jared Golden (D-ME), a co-sponsor of the SPEED Act, stressed the importance of reforming permitting rules to strike a balance between environmental stewardship and efficient project approvals. He argued that protecting the environment should not require tolerating a yearslong process that is overly complex and ripe for litigation abuse.
Bottom Line: From bipartisan Capitol Hill lawmakers to industry leaders, the consensus is clear: America’s permitting process is broken, and reform is long overdue. With bipartisan support and momentum growing, the SPEED Act marks an important step toward cutting red tape, lowering costs for families, and strengthening U.S. energy security.
