Opinion: Everyone rails about how government red tape is a problem. I’ve seen it firsthand, and they’re absolutely right—especially when it comes to permitting new energy and infrastructure projects.
Our country’s burdensome permitting process is one of the biggest obstacles to modernizing infrastructure, unleashing American energy production, and spurring economic growth in rural and underserved communities. The capital and technical capabilities exist—they are just sitting on the sidelines because the process of obtaining federal approval for major projects has become so slow, uncertain, and fragmented that it discourages investment altogether.
Countless projects languish in regulatory limbo for years, which has become untenable for communities and businesses that need stability and a clear path. We’ve known it for a long time, and now Washington, D.C., is catching up and recognizing permitting reform as a priority for energy dominance, economic competitiveness, and national security.
As President and Executive Director of the Oklahoma Rural Association—an organization that collaborates with Oklahoma residents and businesses to advance policies that promote and protect the rural quality of life through economic growth and responsible development—as well as the owner/operator of my family’s farm, I want rural Oklahoma to be a place where people start and grow their businesses. But I also know the serious challenges we face.
Our economy is being weighed down by bureaucratic friction. Our nation’s energy and infrastructure needs are growing and becoming even more complex as the AI race speeds up, national security becomes more intertwined with energy security, and consumers demand more affordability. We need to increase all forms of energy production. We need to expand transport and energy infrastructure. And we need to innovate to meet the increasing demand on our electrical grids.
But we can’t do any of that under the current federal government-run permitting system.
Rep. Stephanie Bice introduced H.R. 1555, the BLM Mineral Spacing Act, earlier this year to streamline the permitting process for oil and gas development on federal lands. That was a welcome action. But now, the whole Oklahoma congressional delegation, including Senators Markwayne Mullin and James Lankford, are uniquely positioned to drive real change and bring broad, commonsense fixes to outdated laws.
As many know—or have even experienced firsthand—projects face years of red tape before a single shovel hits the dirt. Large, critical infrastructure projects trigger reviews and frivolous lawsuits that often take four-to-seven years to resolve, during which costs increase, financing becomes uncertain, and political conditions can change.
Our nation’s permitting process is simply built for a bygone era. The National Environmental Policy Act has only been amended twice since it was enacted in 1970. Our needs have obviously changed drastically—in every way—since then. This outdated statutory framework has left our country stuck in the past with well-intentioned laws that are now the biggest barriers to unlocking America’s full potential as an energy and economic powerhouse.
And it’s not just energy projects that are tied up and stunted; roads, bridges, ports, and housing developments that almost every industry—big or small—relies on are also facing the same problem. Permitting bottlenecks slow economic productivity, undermine supply chain resilience, and contribute to a growing sense that the U.S. cannot build big things anymore.
This is fundamentally about increasing America’s competitiveness. Countries that plan, approve, and build projects efficiently attract greater investment and can respond more quickly to emerging needs. Permitting uncertainty acts as a hidden tax. Companies should be held to community safeguards but not subjected to the risk of indefinite delays and weaponized litigation.
Permitting reform is not a partisan issue. It is a national necessity. Without it, the United States will continue to fall short on infrastructure modernization, energy independence, and economic competitiveness. Energy Secretary Chris Wright recently noted that permitting reform is the best way Congress can advance the administration’s “energy dominance” agenda. With it, we can unleash investment and meet the needs of the future. Reform does not mean choosing between progress and protection; it means improving a system that achieves both with efficiency and reliability. The stakes are high. Further delays will put America on even worse footing. It’s time to act.