A coalition of influential lobbying groups called on Congress to act — in a letter Monday —on the energy-permitting reforms championed by Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., by the end of the summer, The Hill reported.
The letter is led by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce; and the oil and renewable energy industries are also represented in the letter, with the American Petroleum Institute and the Solar Energy Industries Association among the signers, The Hill reported.
The letter calls the current permitting system "the single biggest obstacle" to infrastructure buildouts in the U.S. It does not endorse a specific piece of legislation, but calls for reforms that improve transparency, predictability, efficiency, and input from stakeholders, The Hill reported.
The letter states: "Public and private sector infrastructure projects will improve our economy and the lives of millions of Americans. Investing in highways, bridges, transit systems, and ports will move people and goods more quickly and efficiently.
"Building new energy production, transmission, and distribution projects promises to improve energy reliability and reduce emissions. Expanding access to broadband can close the digital divide, and rebuilding failing water systems will ensure safe drinking water. And we can strengthen our national security by expanding domestic production of critical technologies and the raw materials they require.
"But America cannot accomplish any of this if the outdated, inefficient, and unpredictable permitting process is not improved.
"We are pleased to see support for modernizing our permitting process from across the ideological spectrum, and a recognition that the current system is broken. We know there are differing perspectives in Congress on how best to address current challenges.
"Our organizations will not agree on every issue. We are committed, however, to working with Congress to find solutions and pass meaningful and durable legislation."
"Further, it is essential that reforms are evidence-based in targeting the major sources of current delays."
Congress should approach federal permitting reform in a way that maximizes efficiency in government decision-making through shorter timelines for regulatory approvals without sacrificing the value of the current process in protecting the environment and local stakeholders, according to the Brookings Institution.