Permitting Reform
America Can’t Afford to Wait
The rules for how America builds are broken. Every delay means higher costs, fewer jobs, and a shrinking window to lead the world in industries that will create a secure, prosperous future for our communities.
The United States isn’t short on the ambition to build, the capital to fund projects, or the talent to make them a reality. What’s standing between our communities and the next generation of energy, manufacturing, housing, and transportation projects is a permitting system that has become bloated, redundant, and outdated. Individual regulations are often well-intentioned, but they get stacked on top of each other, adding years and millions of dollars to projects that workers, families, and communities need now.
Fixing permitting isn't a partisan issue. Legislation like the Standardizing Permitting and Expediting Economic Development (SPEED) Act and the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act prove that broad majorities in Congress have the motivation and ability to work together to improve a broken system.
The time is now, and permitting must be a priority for Congress. This is one of the country’s best opportunities to create a more dynamic economy and a more affordable future. The cost of doing nothing grows every day and we can’t afford to wait any longer.
Why Congress Needs to Act Now
When projects wait, workers wait – and families pay more
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Establishing clear, predictable permitting processes across industries is one of the most direct ways Congress can ensure that shovels get in the ground, new investments get unlocked, and projects get finished so that we can all benefit from them. When a manufacturing project is left in limbo, so are the jobs to build it. When transmission projects can’t get off the ground, energy prices keep going up for American households. When a new housing development can’t break ground, homes remain unaffordable for too many families.
We can’t lead if we can’t build
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America is in a global race for leadership across advanced manufacturing and energy independence, among other cutting-edge industries. But our permitting system remains a self-imposed hurdle. A permitting system that moves at the speed of bureaucracy instead of the speed of innovation is a strategic liability we cannot afford.
Delays protect the energy status quo, not the environment
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The current permitting system stalls new energy projects that would modernize the grid and finally help bring down costs for consumers. Comprehensive permitting reform is an opportunity for Congress to clear the path for a cleaner, more independent energy future.
The Cost of Inaction
$100-140B
Annual unrealized returns from infrastructure stuck in permitting¹
4-5 years
Average time it takes each proposed project dollar to move through permitting¹
24%-30%
Total increase in construction costs due to permitting delays¹
87%
Share of manufacturers that would expand operations, hire more workers or increase wages if the permitting process were more streamlined²
$131,000
Regulatory cost added to the price of the average single-family home³
550 Million Metric Tons
Additional carbon emissions this decade due to permitting delays⁴