Letter of Support for the Natural Gas Pipeline Permitting Reform Act

July 16, 2013 

Dear FreedomWorks member,

As one of our millions of FreedomWorks members nationwide, I urge you to contact your Representative in Congress and tell them to support the Natural Gas Pipeline Permitting Reform Act (H.R. 1900). The legislation forces the government to respond to industry requests for natural gas pipeline construction permits in an efficient and timely manner in order to facilitate growth and stability in this critical sector of the economy.

Currently, the permitting process is a daunting and protracted process to complete. Federal regulators often sit on permits for many months, even years, as they weigh environmental and, increasingly, political concerns. The result is an industry paralyzed by red tape. Yet it’s the American consumer paying the ultimate price.

Energy prices, in real terms, are higher now than during the peak of the energy crises of the 1970s. Americans are demanding access to affordable and reliable power from natural gas, but the industry’s efforts to respond are being stymied by an overbearing regulatory state. The result is not only higher prices, but also a continued reliance on foreign energy sources.

The Natural Gas Pipeline Permitting Reform Act aims to change all that. The bill, H.R. 1900, forces the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to render a decision on permits within one year of when they are received. It further directs any and all relevant government agencies to issue the appropriate licenses and permits within 90 days of FERC’s decision.  

The enactment of this legislation will grant invaluable levels of certainty to the natural gas industry, allowing companies to more appropriately allocate capital, provide a greater supply of domestically produced energy to the market and, ultimately, lower prices.  The government is meant to be a guarantor of the market, not an arbitrator. It’s time this principle be reapplied to the energy market. Thus I urge you to contact your Member of Congress today and tell them to support H.R. 1900, the Natural Gas Pipeline Permitting Reform Act.

Sincerely,

Matt Kibbe
President and CEO
FreedomWorks