Dear Chairman Manchin and Ranking Member Barrasso:
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce strongly supports the Energy Permitting Reform Act of 2024 and applauds your bipartisan efforts throughout this Congress to craft comprehensive legislation to improve the transparency, predictability, and efficiency of the federal permitting process. Your legislation would foster economic growth, promote energy innovation, and strengthen America's position as a global leader in energy development.
Rapid increases in demand for energy and minerals are driven by the growing deployment of artificial intelligence, widespread electrification under the energy transition, the reshoring of manufacturing, and renewed energy demand from Europe. Meeting this increasing demand for energy molecules, electrons, and minerals will require fewer permitting hurdles to allow businesses to respond in a timely way to the massive buildout that is necessary. The lengthy and cumbersome nature of the permitting process and frequent project-level litigation results in costly delays and uncertainty that hinder innovation, investment, and deployment.
Your legislation offers practical solutions to help expedite the permitting process without compromising environmental safeguards. It would establish clearer process steps and reduce bureaucratic hurdles that would empower businesses to invest and respond more efficiently to growing energy markets while ensuring responsible resource development.
It will also help accelerate the benefits of nearly $2 trillion provided by Congress for investments in infrastructure, semi-conductor manufacturing, and clean energy. Ultimately, your legislation would align better process with economic realities, and ensure sustainable development.
We hope the Committee will soon consider the Energy Permitting Reform Act of 2024. We look forward to working with the Committee as the bill continues through the legislative process, particularly with respect to the transmission planning provisions. Thank you again for your leadership and for crafting this important legislation.
Sincerely,
Marty Durbin
President
Global Energy Institute
U.S. Chamber of Commerce
