OPINION:
America produces energy that is cleaner and more affordable than many foreign countries. Yet our energy prices have skyrocketed, we’re reliant on oil from the Middle East, and domestic energy projects are stalled. So, how did we get here? And how do we fix it?
While America has the capability to produce clean, reliable, and affordable energy, our cumbersome permitting process—detailed in the outdated National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA)—disrupts and kills both traditional and renewable energy projects. This results in less American-made energy, fewer jobs, and more reliance on foreign nations to meet our needs.
Take for instance our allies in Australia, where mining permits—critical to obtaining lithium and cobalt for batteries, copper for wind turbines and solar panels, and more—can be secured in just two to three years. Meanwhile, in the United States, a similar project can take up to 10 years or more, disincentivizing private investment and hindering new job creation.
If the goal of our environmental policies is to kill energy projects, particularly clean energy projects, then we are greatly succeeding. But if we want to champion environmental conservation, economic growth, workforce expansion, and national security in our energy approach, we must improve our system.
On March 30th, the House of Representatives passed H.R. 1, the Lower Energy Costs Act. This legislation cuts red tape, boosts domestic energy and critical mineral production, enhances transparency on lease sales from the Department of the Interior (DOI), repeals unnecessary fees on energy producers, and more. Additionally, H.R. 1 reforms the permitting process by streamlining NEPA so that energy projects can be reviewed and implemented faster, thus boosting our economy, providing good-paying jobs, and lowering energy costs for Americans.
Even though H.R. 1 passed the House with bipartisan support, the bill faces a gloomy prospect in the Senate, where Senate Minority Leader Schumer has declared it “dead on arrival.” However, the irony is that without this key permitting reform, Democrats’ flagship green energy projects will fail or struggle to get off the ground due to NEPA’s complex and arduous processes.
House Republicans recognize the need to solve our permitting issues and have kicked off the 118th Congress coordinating across committees, caucuses, and working groups to introduce legislation. For example, the House Natural Resources Committee is working on the Transparency, Accountability, Permitting and Production of American Resources Act to minimize delays for mining projects on federal lands. The House Energy and Commerce Committee has already put forth several bills this congress to support American energy production, strengthen our supply chains, and lower gas prices, including the Researching Efficient Federal Improvements for Necessary Energy Refining Act, the Unlocking Our Domestic LNG Potential Act, and the Natural Gas Tax Repeal Act.
Last year, I introduced the Protecting Energy Independence and Transparency Act to hold the Biden administration accountable for their consequential delays in the domestic energy permitting and leasing process by requiring DOI to issue any eligible permits within 30 days, submit a report to Congress on nominated parcels, and publish the number of pending and approved applications to drill. At the time of introduction, the Biden administration was sitting on over 4,600 permits to drill even though the DOI must meet a statutory requirement to issue permits within 30 days. My bill would have simply required the issuance of these permits that had already successfully completed environmental review, lowering our dependence on foreign energy.
If we want to reinvigorate our economy, strengthen our national security, support our workforce needs, and be on the forefront of innovative energy solutions, we must address our energy permitting processes. As the 118th Congress gets going, I am proud to support the Lower Energy Costs Act and work with my Republican and Democratic colleagues to find commonsense solutions and allow America to become a dominant energy producer yet again.
• Blake Moore, Utah Republican, represents the state’s first congressional district, which includes Hill Air Force Base. He serves on the House Ways and Means Committee, the House Budget Committee, and as co-chair of the bipartisan Depot, Armed Forces and Future caucuses. Active and valued within the House Republican Conference, Moore also serves as Assistant Whip. He is a native of Ogden, Utah, and has four sons with his wife, Jane.
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