Natural Gas Council urges Congress to reform permitting process
Members of the Natural Gas Council, including the American Petroleum Institute (API), are urging U.S. Senate leadership to advance policies that would expedite and reform the permitting process.
Specifically, the groups would like to see policies that create clear timelines, clarify the scope of agency review, and reduce the uncertainty around judicial review.
“Clear, predictable infrastructure permitting processes remain instrumental to achieving our shared energy, economic, security, and climate-related goals,” the Natural Gas Council wrote in a letter to Senate leaders.
They point out that natural gas is the leading cause of reductions in U.S. power sector emissions. From 2005 to 2021, about 60 percent of power-related CO2 emissions reductions came from switching to natural gas. It also plays a critical role in maintaining grid reliability while complementing rising renewable energy generation.
“Unfortunately, the current processes to site and approve new and expanded infrastructure remain cumbersome, often stalling projects for years with duplicative reviews, unnecessarily burdensome approvals, and unending legal challenges. These inefficiencies hamper access to domestic natural gas resources, creating reliance on imports, raising energy costs in certain regions, and, in the worst cases, limiting access to energy during periods of extreme weather,” they added.
In addition, the council outlined actions Congress can take to reform the Clean Water Act (CWA) certification process, National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) reviews, and judicial reviews to clarify the permitting process.
“To fulfill America’s energy, economic, security, and climate-related goals, the Natural Gas Council and the companies we represent stand ready to work in a bipartisan manner to enact durable permitting provisions that enable development of the energy infrastructure needed to continue delivering the benefits of natural gas to the American people,” the council wrote.
In addition to API, the Natural Gas Council includes the American Gas Association, the Independent Petroleum Association of America, the Interstate Natural Gas Association of America, and the Natural Gas Supply Association.
