Source: United States Senator for Alaska Lisa Murkowski
Washington, DC – U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), former chairman of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources (ENR), joined Senator John Barrasso (R-WY), Ranking Member of the ENR Committee in introducing legislation to substantively reform the nation’s broken permitting and environmental review processes, which are currently delaying key energy, infrastructure, and transportation projects across America.
The Spur Permitting of Underdeveloped Resources (SPUR) Act, covers key reforms in ENR’s jurisdiction, including provisions to increase domestic energy and mineral development, ensure federal lands remain open to productive uses, and streamline permitting of energy infrastructure.
“The federal permitting process is broken, with just about every major project in Alaska and elsewhere facing major delays and lawsuits that add to costs, discourage investment, and prevent resource production here at home. If we want to improve our energy and mineral security, we have to be able to approve good projects in a timely manner—but the longer we wait on critical reforms, the more we empower China, OPEC+, and adversarial nations around the world,” Senator Lisa Murkowski said. “The permitting improvements put on the table through Senator Barrasso’s SPUR Act, through legislation led by Senator Capito, and from Chairman Manchin will all help us address this urgent challenge. I’m proud to join my colleagues on serious proposals that will uphold our environmental laws while boosting our economy and national security.”
Watch Senator Murkowski speak to the need for permitting reform in a Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee hearing here.
“American energy can no longer be held hostage. That’s exactly what’s happening under the Biden administration. Environmental extremists are manipulating a broken permitting process. The bills Senator Capito and I are introducing will fix this problem,” ENR Ranking Member Barrasso said. “We need to lower prices for American families and unleash American energy. The way to do that is to impose strict deadlines and stop endless litigation. We must also block the administration from hijacking the permitting process to kill worthy projects. Our current system stifles development and undermines American energy security. Americans still know how to build things. Today’s broken process won’t allow it. That must change.”
“The current permitting and project review process slows the construction of roads and bridges, discourages domestic energy production, and minimizes investments made in our nation’s infrastructure, all of which has resulted in fewer jobs and higher prices for Americans,” EPW Ranking Member Capito said. “The two bills Senator Barrasso and I are introducing fix this broken system with substantive changes that cut red tape, modernize and streamline the permitting process, and prevent endless delays that have plagued job-creating projects across the country. As the Ranking Members of the EPW and ENR committees, we’re introducing both of these bills to underscore the need to approach permitting reform the right way, which is through the proper committees of jurisdiction here in Congress. I’m confident we can find bipartisan consensus and accomplish real permitting reform, which will create jobs, boost energy production, lower prices for consumers, and make it easier to build in America.”
Ranking Member Barrasso’s SPUR Act is cosponsored by Capito and every Republican member of the ENR Committee, including Senators Jim Risch (R-ID), Mike Lee (R-UT), Steve Daines (R-MT), John Hoeven (R-ND), Bill Cassidy (R-La.), Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-MS), and Josh Hawley (R-MO).
For bill text of the SPUR Act, click here.
For a section by section of the SPUR Act, click here.
For a one pager of the SPUR Act, click here.