Despite the rhetoric that energy tax credits are essential to energy dominance, the real obstacle holding back energy investment and deployment is regulatory bottlenecks at the federal, state, and local levels. Policy reforms that unlock all forms of energy development can enhance energy affordability and grid resiliency at a significantly lower cost to taxpayers.
Few laws have proven as contentious as the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) of 2022. The IRA was passed exclusively by Democrats, with Republicans voicing concerns over its cost. Following the November 2024 election, Republican leadership eyed repeal or phase-out of individual IRA provisions in 2025.
A revolution in the West's electric power grid is on the horizon, offering consumers potential reliability and economic benefits. However, those benefits will only be realized if we prevent special interests from hijacking the process.
After the failure of the Manchin-Barrasso Energy Permitting Reform Act in the last Congress and with the zone flooded by executive action, legislative approaches to permitting reform in a new Congress are also kicking into gear.
At home, lower energy prices—particularly at the pump—are central to Trump’s strategy for reducing consumer inflation and stimulating economic growth. The President has set an ambitious goal of reducing retail gasoline prices to below $2 per gallon, a significant drop from the current national average, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA).
Permitting talks in Congress stalled last weekend as lead negotiators could not agree on a final compromise. Republican control of the presidency and Congress, albeit with slim majorities, provides an opportunity for a fresh look at permitting reform next year. It’ll be a fresh start with a shifted Overton window, but the 119th Congress should continue to prioritize permitting reform with the following principles in mind.
For all the heated rhetoric about America's energy future, the real story isn't on cable news. It's written in investment portfolios, corporate strategies, and technological breakthroughs transforming how we power our nation.
Congress clearly recognizes that the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA) has become a litigious permitting morass that has delayed proposed projects for years.
Permitting reform is not a one-and-done fix. It will take bold reform at the federal and state levels to capitalize on America’s energy abundance and technological innovation.
Helene is not the last hurricane that the U.S. will face, but it should be the last one whose response is mired by inefficient regulations.
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