It’s becoming increasingly clear that for America to keep its power grid stable and ensure national energy security, it needs to speed up the approval process for major energy projects. Thankfully, President Trump and his team recognized this urgent need and started taking action.
One of the biggest hurdles in the U.S. is the lengthy approval process for energy projects. For instance, it took 18 years for the Transwest Transmission Project to secure all necessary permits before construction could even begin. Once it finally breaks ground, it’s expected to take another four years to complete a 732-mile line designed to transport electricity from wind farms in Wyoming, with a projected finish in 2027.
So, that’s 18 years for permits, plus four years for construction. If that seems off-balance to you, you’re not alone. Similarly, new mining operations can take 20 years to complete, just like major nuclear facilities. The process for getting a new large-scale oil refinery built is so complicated that no new ones have been established in the U.S. in over 40 years.
In the Permian Basin of New Mexico, getting a drilling permit on federal land can take four to five times longer than on private land. Even in the Gulf of Mexico, businesses often wait seven to ten years to begin operating, as the federal government is the only authority for licensing.
This situation is clearly not sustainable. With the rise of new demand drivers like AI data centers, cryptocurrency mining, and electric vehicle charging stations, many regional power grids in the U.S. have already faced serious reliability issues before these additional demands appeared.
In response, President Trump established the National Energy Control Council (NEDC) in February, appointing Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgham to lead it, with Energy Secretary Chris Wright as vice-chairman. The NEDC has tasked various government departments to formulate plans for expediting approvals, especially for projects that do not require Congressional consensus. This effort is crucial, especially given the legislative challenges faced in recent years regarding permit streamlining.
However, the NEDC has taken on more responsibilities, now also leading the Improvement Management Council, which aims to guide energy projects through complex federal regulations. This isn’t a straightforward task, as delays often arise from key environmental laws, such as the Clean Air Act and the Endangered Species Act, many of which have bipartisan backing. Many were established by a Democratic Congress and signed by a Republican president.
Streamlining approvals under these well-supported laws can be politically tricky, drawing pushback from major interest groups often funded by high-profile billionaires. Additional delays stem from historical state and national laws protecting archaeological sites, which can overlap with Native American rights, as well as concerns regarding private property rights.
In summary, managing this intricacy is a monumental task. It’s fortunate that Domenek is stepping up to lead, and hopefully, she will succeed. America’s energy security quite literally depends on it.
