Rapidly rising demand for clean and reliable energy sources, a result of both data center and AI advancements and increasing geopolitical tensions, provides the United States with a generational opportunity to cement itself as a dominant global energy player.
The U.S. has ample domestic energy supply, including oil and natural gas, but to fully harness the benefits of those energy sources, we must build new energy infrastructure to carry the energy from production basins to end users.
The Trump administration has set ambitious goals to remain a leading energy producer and exporter, as demonstrated by the series of executive orders signed within hours of taking office, that align with broader economic ambitions such as expanding domestic manufacturing and supporting the rapidly growing AI and data center sectors. Achieving those goals requires the buildout of new energy infrastructure, including pipelines, refineries, and liquefied natural gas terminals, which cannot be done without comprehensive permitting reform.
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Over the last decade, the U.S. has led energy production globally, supporting millions of domestic jobs and strengthening national security. This success would not be possible without the network of pipelines that carry oil and gas to end users, and without new pipelines, increased natural gas capacity cannot be moved from where it is produced to where it is urgently needed.
Nearly 33% of energy consumed in the U.S. travels through natural gas infrastructure, and pipelines are the safest, most reliable, and most affordable method to deliver natural gas to consumers across the country.
Yet, the U.S.’s outdated permitting processes are bogged down in red tape, delays, and pipeline infrastructure projects that are being held up in the courts. These regulatory hurdles make it increasingly difficult for the energy sector to scale up production.
For example, the Mountain Valley Pipeline, a 303-mile natural gas pipeline connecting Appalachia to mid-Atlantic consumers, faced more than six years of regulatory delays, which resulted in escalated costs and missed opportunities. Unfortunately, the MVP’s delays are not an anomaly — numerous other pipeline projects have similarly struggled to break ground despite their potential to create thousands of jobs, boost local economies, and provide consumers with affordable energy.
Between 2013 and 2021, five interstate pipeline projects on the East Coast were canceled after receiving the necessary certificate from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission due to lengthy permitting challenges. This resulted in a loss of 5 billion cubic feet per day in capacity, more than 40,000 jobs, and energy to service more than 25.5 million homes.
Additionally, natural gas demand has risen 45% since 2010, while pipeline capacity has only grown 28%, representing a growing gap in production and transportation capacity. If the U.S. is to maintain its global energy leadership, we must ensure we can effectively scale natural gas capacity in a timely and cost-effective manner.
In short, to maintain energy leadership, we must overhaul permitting processes for new energy projects.
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As it stands, our permitting processes bottleneck energy infrastructure development, often resulting in extended delays and subjecting projects to repeated reviews and legal challenges. To address this, we need to reform the National Environmental Policy Act, the Clean Water Act, and judicial review processes.
By streamlining our permitting processes, the U.S. can continue to expand its energy capacity, support its manufacturing base, and solidify its leadership in the global energy market. These reforms will allow critical energy projects to be developed faster, creating new jobs and unlocking new opportunities. The time for permitting reform is now — our economic future depends on it.
Michael McMahon is senior vice president and general counsel at Boardwalk Pipeline Partners and the chairman of the Interstate Natural Gas Association of America.
Amy Andryszak is president and CEO of the Interstate Natural Gas Association of America.