LEPA Part of Energy Coalition Supporting House Action 
on Permitting Reform

WASHINGTON, DC – On Thursday, the Liquid Energy Pipeline Association (LEPA) joined a broad coalition of energy and pipeline groups supporting House action on legislation to speed review of energy projects. H.R. 4776, the Standardizing Permitting and Expediting Economic Development (SPEED) Act brings greatly needed reforms to unleash American energy for our families and workers.

 

“Permitting reform offers an exciting opportunity to help deliver Americans the affordable, reliable and safe energy they need and want,” said Andy Black, LEPA President and CEO. 

 

With permitting for energy infrastructure projects taking 10 years or longer, the permitting process is clearly broken. LEPA supports the meaningful permitting reforms of the SPEED Act that will make a difference in the review of pipeline projects.

 

Several recent NEPA improvements, such as page limits and deadlines, were positive but also left in place dysfunctional legal reviews. The SPEED Act includes judicial reform provisions vital to fixing NEPA, including a reasonable statute of limitations, expedited court reviews, limitations on courts substituting their own judgment for agencies, restraints on throwing out a project permit based on a NEPA deficiency, and requiring agencies to make court ordered fixes to NEPA documents promptly. 

 

In addition to LEPA, the American Clean Power Association, American Exploration & Production Council, American Gas Association, American Petroleum Institute, Edison Electric Institute, Independent Petroleum Association of America, Interstate Natural Gas Association of America, Liquid Energy Pipeline Association and Natural Gas Supply Association all joined in publicly supporting SPEED Act passage. 

 

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