Make permitting fast and fair

Statement in support of permitting certainty

Gemini’s interpretation.

To unleash the full potential of American energy, we must prioritize certainty and stability in our regulatory framework. Measures that simplify processes, regulatory requirements, and generally make permitting processes fast, predictable, and fair are vital for American energy abundance and affordability.

Today’s permitting reform conversations around the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and the Clean Water Act (CWA) all represent promising steps. Measures like the Standardizing Permitting and Expediting Economic Development (SPEED) Act, and Promoting Efficient Review for Modern Infrastructure Today Act (the PERMIT Act) represent smart updates to environmental laws first passed in the 1970s.

Industry leaders are already sounding the alarm on the dangers of political whims determining energy investment decisions. Shell is the largest oil producer in the Gulf of America, yet the company explicitly warned that the cancellation of offshore wind projects sets a dangerous precedent, fearing these actions will serve as a pretext for future administrations to target traditional energy projects. This concern is echoed by broad industry voices. On December 3, the American Petroleum Institute, several gas trade associations, and the American Clean Power Association signed a joint letter on the need for certainty and endorsing the SPEED Act.

We have seen this movie before: from the Biden Administration’s pause on LNG export permits and the revocation of the Keystone XL permit to the targeting of offshore wind. This cycle of retribution, canceling and restarting permits based on who is in the White House, benefits no one. By establishing durable, neutral permitting reform, we can stop the political pendulum and give American innovators the stability they need to invest in and power our future.

True energy dominance requires an all-of-the-above approach where the market—not government favoritism—picks winners and losers. Updates to public policy through the One Big Beautiful Bill Act helped remove subsidies that distort the market. Consumers always benefit when they are in the driver’s seat, rather than having their energy choices dictated by who is best connected to the current administration. Permitting reforms that prevent the weaponization of the regulatory and permitting process are the natural successor to promote consumer choice and energy abundance.

Without permitting reform, there are still thumbs on the scale driving and destroying energy development outside of the market. We cannot afford a system where energy policy swings violently with every change in administration, creating a whipsaw effect that chills investment across the board.

By clearing the bureaucratic path for builders, we unlock a future defined by energy abundance and environmental progress. A fair, fast, market-driven regulatory landscape ensures that American innovation makes us all wealthier.