For a cleaner, more prosperous world, ACC mobilizes conservatives around environmental issues, fostering collaboration in the pursuit of environmental conservation.
Closing in on three weeks of yet another government shutdown, Washington is not helping Americans rid themselves of the idea that they are much better at grinding to a halt than getting things done. The irony, of course, is that Congress is now debating one of the few issues that could actually unclog bureaucracy: permitting reform.
Amidst the chaotic noise, a louder truth sets in: America cannot lead if America cannot build.
You may not have heard of permitting reform, but your electric bills have. The average federal environmental review for a new energy project takes 4.5 years and costs more than $4 million before a single watt of clean energy is produced. We cannot press pause on those added years lost to higher emissions, fewer jobs, and billions in private investment driven overseas. China, meanwhile, is building fast. The country plans to build 150 nuclear plants by mid-century; by comparison, the United States has built two in the last three decades. While we debate, others build. Our hesitation has become their advantage.
We can’t achieve energy independence, conservation progress, or economic strength if every project is suffocated by red tape before the first shovel is unpacked from the truck bed. The United States has unmatched engineers and resources, and a culture of ambition that’s hard to rival. Rather than battling the marketplace, our grit is instantly confronted with our outdated permitting system.
At the American Conservation Coalition (ACC), we’ve spent the past few years where we needed to be: in hearings, in the pages of leading outlets, and in the community through strategic events, pushing for a modernized permitting system. ACC’s policy staff have worked to lay the groundwork for bringing understanding to permitting reform as a clean energy solution, economic opportunity, and national security imperative.
When ACC submitted comments to the Department of the Interior this summer, our message was clear: conservation and efficiency are not opposites. We can protect our natural resources while also empowering Americans to build cleaner, faster. At May’s Energy Imperative’s Summit (pictured above), co-hosted by ACC alongside the Foundation for American Innovation and American Affairs, our President Chris Barnard and Energy Secretary Chris Wright took that message directly to Washington on the mainstage. They agreed that the path to energy abundance and lower emissions runs through reforming the system that dictates how we build in this country. This is without mentioning the work done in regular meetings, briefings, and bipartisan outreach our team continually engages in to equip lawmakers and staff with the understanding that fixing our permitting system isn’t ideological; it’s commonsense.
The writing is on the wall. Republican leadership has an opportunity to redefine what energy leadership looks like. Permitting reform is a conservative solution rooted in stewardship, competitiveness, and accountability. As ACC’s COO Stephen Perkins wrote for RealClear Energy, “We need every source in our arsenal if we’re going to meet our historic energy demand, keep prices for families low, and stay competitive globally.” Our CEO Danielle Franz put it more bluntly in The Hill: “All Americans want clean air, clean water, and a safe environment to call home. Ensuring these things means reducing emissions to mitigate the effects of a changing climate. Republicans already champion policies that do this — including, in this instance, common-sense energy permitting reform.”
This Congress has the chance to usher in an era of American energy dominance and leadership. That means taking real action to streamline reviews, set firm approval timelines, and empower states to manage their energy needs. This is not a new fight for ACC. We will continue to build the case, changing hearts and minds. We call on our nation’s leaders to pick up that torch and help us build the future.
Leadership is about building something that lasts. As we break into a new day, one conviction is certain: America’s ability to build is a measure of its ability to lead.