U.S. Senators Joe Manchin and John Barrasso, the Chairman and Ranking Member of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee (SENRC), respectively, recently launched the Energy Permitting Reform Act of 2024, a SENRC release posted on the organization’s website revealed.
In response to the introduction of the act, Independent Petroleum Association of America (IPAA) COO and EVP Dan Naatz said in a statement sent to Rigzone, “IPAA applauds Senate Energy and Natural Resources Chairman Manchin and Ranking Member Barrasso for their collaborative effort in producing the bipartisan Energy Permitting Reform Act of 2024”.
“After listening to the concerns and frustrations of users of multiple-use lands across the industry, Senators Manchin and Barrasso worked together to help reduce much of the unnecessary red tape that hampers independent producers operating on federal onshore and offshore lands,” Naatz added.
“They have put forward a permitting reform package that will improve coordination, reduce permitting wait times, remove the LNG export ban, and restore certainty to the Gulf of Mexico leasing process. This legislation increases American energy security and IPAA appreciates the Senators’ thoughtful approach to these important issues,” he continued.
In another statement sent to Rigzone commenting on the act, American Exploration & Production Council (AXPC) CEO Anne Bradbury said, “in order for the American economy to compete on the global stage in the twenty-first century, we need to develop infrastructure projects that support the rising demand for energy”.
“That’s why AXPC is proud to support Chairman Manchin and Ranking Member Barrasso’s permitting reform bill, as it would end the Biden-Harris administration’s LNG export approval ban and streamline leasing and permitting for energy projects on federal lands,” Bradbury added.
National Ocean Industries Association (NOIA) President Erik Milito said in a separate statement sent to Rigzone that “there is broad and bipartisan consensus on the need to streamline permitting to expedite the development of vital infrastructure and energy projects without unnecessary delays”.
“We welcome the introduction of the Energy Permitting Reform Act of 2024 and commend Senators Manchin and Barrasso for their commonsense approach to energy policy,” he added.
Milito said in the statement that reforming the nation’s permitting process “will ensure that America remains a leader in energy production while safeguarding our natural resources”.
“The inclusion of provisions for new offshore oil and gas lease sales underscores the critical role of the Gulf of Mexico and other offshore areas in meeting the nation’s energy needs. This move will boost domestic energy production, create jobs, and stimulate economic growth,” he added.
“Additional Gulf of Mexico lease sales will provide much-needed stability and reassurance to an energy region vital to our national interests … We are also pleased with the inclusion of litigation reform. These provisions will help prevent the sudden and disruptive halting of projects, ensuring that infrastructure and energy initiatives can proceed without meritless legal delays. This promotes a stable regulatory environment essential for long-term planning and investment,” he continued.
“In addition, lifting the pause on LNG permits is crucial for enhancing our energy security and expanding export capacity. This step will strengthen our position in the global energy market and better support our allies. Additionally, it will help the U.S. reclaim a strategic advantage while promoting progress in emission reduction efforts,” he went on to state.
Milito also said in the statement that the group commends the bill’s support for offshore wind lease sales.
“While the power generated from offshore wind projects may be local, the economic significance, including the supply chain, has a national footprint. States like Louisiana, Texas, North Carolina, and Florida have already realized jobs and investments from supporting offshore wind projects,” he said.
“Successful permitting reform, as included in this bill, will establish a regulatory framework that balances and enables solutions for navigating climate challenges while promoting long-term affordable energy and providing energy security for Americans and our allies,” Milito added.
In a statement posted on the American Petroleum Institute’s (API) website, API Executive Vice President and Chief Advocacy Officer Amanda Eversole said, “at a time of persistent inflation, it’s long past time to fix our nation’s broken permitting system and unlock the domestic resources needed to meet rising demand for affordable, reliable energy”.
“This legislation not only takes tangible steps toward a more transparent, consistent and timely permitting process, but also ends the administration’s misguided LNG export permit pause, strengthening American energy leadership while helping to reduce emissions worldwide” Eversole added.
“We applaud Senators Manchin and Barrasso for renewing bipartisan efforts to build the infrastructure needed for today and the future, and we call on Congress to take up this urgent priority,” Eversole went on to state.
The SENRC release describes the Energy Permitting Reform Act of 2024 as bipartisan legislation that “will strengthen American energy security by accelerating the permitting process for critical energy and mineral projects of all types in the United States”.
In the release, Manchin said, “the United States of America is blessed with abundant natural resources that have powered our nation to greatness and allow us to help our friends and allies around the world”.
“Unfortunately, today our outdated permitting system is stifling our economic growth, geopolitical strength, and ability to reduce emissions,” he added.
“After over a year of holding hearings in the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, thoughtfully considering input from our colleagues on both sides of the aisle, and engaging in good faith negotiations, Ranking Member Barrasso and I have put together a commonsense, bipartisan piece of legislation that will speed up permitting and provide more certainty for all types of energy and mineral projects without bypassing important protections for our environment and impacted communities,” he continued.
“The Energy Permitting Reform Act will advance American energy once again to bring down prices, create domestic jobs, and allow us to continue in our role as a global energy leader. The time to act on it is now,” Manchin went on to state.
Barrasso said in the release, “for far too long, Washington’s disastrous permitting system has shackled American energy production and punished families in Wyoming and across our country”.
“Congress must step in and fix this process … Our bipartisan bill secures future access to oil and gas resources on federal lands and waters,” he added.
“We fix the disastrous Rosemont decision so that we can produce more American minerals instead of relying on China. We permanently end President Biden’s reckless ban on natural gas exports. And we ensure we can strengthen our electric grid while protecting customers,” he said.
“This legislation is an urgent and important first step towards improving our nation’s broken permitting process,” he continued.
Rigzone has asked the White House, the U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI), and the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) for comment on the Energy Permitting Reform Act of 2024, the SENRC release, and the statements from the API, IPAA, AXPC, and NOIA.
The DOI refused to comment. The White House and the DOE have not yet responded to Rigzone at the time of writing.
Since its creation, the committee on energy and natural resources and its predecessors have considered, reported, and overseen some of the most important legislation ever enacted by the United States Congress, SENRC notes on its site, adding that the energy committee has distinguished itself as among the most nonpartisan, or bipartisan, in the Senate.
The API represents all segments of America’s natural gas and oil industry, which supports more than 11 million U.S. jobs and is backed by a growing grassroots movement of millions of Americans, the API states on its site, highlighting that the group has nearly 600 members who “produce, process and distribute the majority of the nation’s energy”.
The IPAA describes itself is a national upstream trade association representing thousands of independent oil and natural gas producers and service companies across the United States and the AXPC describes itself as the national trade association that represents the leading independent oil and natural gas exploration and production companies in the United States.
NOIA represents and advances a dynamic and growing offshore energy industry, the group’s site notes.
