Senator Alan Armstrong on Building American Energy Infrastructure

Permitting reform is critical to meeting surging U.S. power demand and maintaining economic competitiveness in the face of rapid AI and data center growth. The current infrastructure development process suffers from excessive litigation, fragmented state-level vetoes under the Clean Water Act, and a lack of coordination among federal agencies. Meaningful progress requires establishing a single lead federal agency, ensuring concurrent environmental reviews, and limiting judicial review to prevent the arbitrary vacating of lawfully issued permits. While environmental groups often use these processes to block projects, the focus should shift toward setting clear, consistent environmental standards that allow for predictable development. By aligning industry interests across oil, gas, and renewables, lawmakers can create a bipartisan framework that prioritizes infrastructure resilience and energy affordability without compromising environmental protections.