The Honorable Shelley Moore Capito
Chair
U.S. Senate Committee on Environment and
Public Works
304 Dirksen Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510
The Honorable Sheldon Whitehouse
Ranking Member
U.S. Senate Committee on Environment and
Public Works
304 Dirksen Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510
January 27, 2026
Dear Chair Capito and Ranking Member Whitehouse,
We submit this letter on behalf of a broad, bipartisan group of NGO and industry
representatives to applaud you for focusing on permitting reform with your January 28
Hearing to Examine the Federal Environmental Review and Permitting Processes, Part II, and encourage the advancement of comprehensive permitting reform legislation during the 119th Congress. Our current permitting system creates too much uncertainty and unnecessary delays, extending permitting timelines far longer than is necessary to ensure the safe deployment of infrastructure and restoration projects. A more efficient permitting system will improve both economic and environmental outcomes, which is why there has been growing bipartisan support for action.
The 118th Congress’s efforts on permitting reform proved the breadth of stakeholders and industries impacted by inefficiencies in America’s existing regulatory framework for infrastructure of all kinds. The focus on permitting delays has only grown as greater demand for electricity threatens to push already elevated prices even higher. While all stakeholders may not agree on individual elements of a permitting package, we are united in the belief that durable, technology-neutral legislation must include a mixture of bipartisan priorities—these include but are not limited to National Environmental Policy Act reform, improved judicial review, project certainty, targeted reforms to enable linear infrastructure, geothermal parity with oil and gas, and more. Limiting political interference by codifying permitting certainty measures is a top bipartisan priority and a focus of stakeholders across all industry sectors.
Sound reforms will not only accelerate project deployment but also uphold our strong
environmental standards, producing better outcomes for American businesses and
communities alike. There will be profound energy affordability, national security, and
environmental benefits associated with bipartisan, technology-neutral permitting reform. Our nation’s aging infrastructure, growing restoration needs, and surging energy demands cannot wait until next Congress or beyond—we must let America build again.
We appreciate your leadership and encourage continued partnership with your colleagues in both chambers. We stand ready to work together toward the passage of meaningful, bipartisan permitting reform legislation.
Sincerely,
American Conservation Coalition Action
American Council on Renewable Energy
Billion Oyster Project
Bipartisan Policy Center Action
Breakthrough Institute
C3 Solutions Action
Center for Climate and Energy Solutions
Chamber of Progress
Citizens for Responsible Energy Solutions
Clean Energy Buyers Association
ClearPath Action
Dream.Org
Ducks Unlimited
Environmental Policy Innovation Center
Foundation for American Innovation
Geothermal Rising Action
Inclusive Abundance Action
Institute for Progress
National Hydropower Association
National Wildlife Federation
Niskanen Center
Securing America’s Future Energy
The Freshwater Trust
The Nature Conservatory
Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership
ThirdWay
U.S. Chamber of Commerce