H.R. 1 a Key Step Toward Bipartisan Permitting Reform
Amanda Eversole
Posted March 23, 2023
In a new letter to Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy and House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries, API President and CEO Mike Sommers underscores strong support for H.R.1, “The Lower Energy Costs Act,” and the foundation this legislation would build for long-lasting, bipartisan reforms to the federal infrastructure permitting system.
Sommers writes that the proposal’s designation as “H.R. 1” is a signal the new Congress is focused on providing reliable, affordable energy for the American people.
According to White House data, energy companies often must wait nearly five years to obtain legally mandated environmental reviews that can run more than 600 pages. Additionally, The New York Times recently reported that 8,100 renewable energy projects are stuck in governmental regulatory purgatory. But amid geopolitical upheaval and domestic inflation, Americans and our allies cannot afford to wait.
Given America is projected to soon become the world’s top exporter of liquefied natural gas (LNG) and supplied half of Europe’s LNG in 2022, we need real reforms to streamline energy projects, including those for U.S. oil and natural gas producers, to increase supply and help lower costs.
Please click here to read Sommers’ full letter on H.R. 1 to House leadership. Some key highlights:
- Energy security is national security – Demand for energy will continue to rise in the coming decades, and independent analysis shows that oil and natural gas are going to play an important role in fulfilling global energy needs for the foreseeable future.
- Regulation, uncertainty stifle needed infrastructure – Permitting reform not only supports our ability to increase oil and natural gas production safely and effectively but could also allow renewable and other infrastructure projects to move forward instead of languishing in a regulatory maze.
- Reforms – for lasting progress – Real, lasting change comes from bipartisan, common-sense, economically-sound solutions. We all share the common goals of providing reliable energy to Americans; enhancing our energy security; cementing our energy independence for years to come; and making energy safer, cleaner, and more affordable.
About The Author
Amanda Eversole is API’s executive vice president and chief advocacy officer, and leads efforts to integrate API’s diverse functions and develop and implement a strategic plan. Eversole came to API from JPMorgan Chase & Co., where she was managing director and head of public affairs, building the organization’s public affairs function and creating the framework for the firm’s philanthropic activities. Prior to JPMorgan Chase & Co., she served in a number of leadership positions at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, including president of C_TEC, the Chamber Technology Engagement Center. Before joining the U.S. Chamber, she worked for RTC Relationship Marketing in business development. Eversole graduated cum laude from the College of William & Mary with a bachelor of business administration and a minor in French, and she earned an M.B.A. from the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School where she was a Palmer Scholar and graduated first in her class. She serves on the Board of Directors of Our Energy Policy. She lives in Virginia with her husband, their two daughters and their dog, Gus.