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America is poised for a generation of historic growth. Billions of dollars in private capital are ready to build reliable electric grids, advanced manufacturing facilities, domestic mineral supply chains, energy generation of every kind, and new homes to meet the rising demands of a growing population. Yet, much of that potential is trapped under a decades-old federal permitting framework that has devolved from sensible safeguards into a trap of endless delay.

Today, it can take anywhere from four to seven years just to clear federal environmental review for major infrastructure projects. Frivolous litigation and overlapping agency jurisdictions stall projects long after they should have broken ground. Every year of delay means deferred construction jobs, lost local tax revenue for schools and roads, a less secure grid, and higher costs for families already stretched by rising energy bills and housing prices.

Texas offers a better model. As a state that’s responsible for a quarter of the nation’s energy production, Texas now allows third-party review of certain energy permit applications to keep projects moving. Last session, lawmakers advanced SB 15 and SB 840 to cut zoning barriers and speed housing construction, and SB 14 created the Texas Regulatory Efficiency Office to help employers navigate state rules.

Texas has shown how government can be a facilitator, not a roadblock, and that approach has gained traction in our nation’s capital as well.

Recently, U.S. Senators Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), Mike Lee (R-UT), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) and Martin Heinrich (D-NM) introduced the American Affordability and Jobs Act of 2026, which pairs reforms to the National Environmental Policy Act, the Clean Water Act, the Endangered Species Act and other statutes with targeted changes for transmission, generation and other energy infrastructure. It also gives greater certainty that projects keep their permits once they have been approved.

The Texas Association of Business (TAB) recently joined nine other state Chambers of Commerce from across the nation in calling for Congress to unleash the full potential of American industry by instituting long-overdue reforms to streamline federal permitting processes, writing in the Washington Examiner last week:

“…Much of this potential is trapped under unnecessary bureaucracy and regulation. Our decades-old regulatory framework has devolved from sensible environmental safeguards into a trap of endless delay. Today, it takes an average of four to seven years just to clear the federal environmental review process for major infrastructure projects. Frivolous litigation and overlapping agency jurisdictions stall projects for years after they should have been breaking ground, deterring investment and obstructing opportunity…

“…For years, permitting reform has been viewed not as a bipartisan concept but as a political legislative challenge. But economic reality has a way of forcing action. Finally, a landmark bipartisan energy permitting reform deal is here, and the business communities in our 10 states and beyond stand ready to support it. We applaud our congressional delegations working in a bipartisan, bicameral way to deliver a legislative victory to the president’s desk that will lower costs, create jobs, and secure America’s energy future.”

Even before the American Affordability and Jobs Act was introduced, we saw clear bipartisan momentum for this approach building in Washington. As Metrocrest Area Chamber of Commerce President & CEO Michael Gallops wrote recently in the Dallas Morning News:

“Bipartisan bills already in motion, including the SPEED Act, the PERMIT Act and the FREEDOM Act would do at the federal level what Texas has already proven works at the state level: cut delays, reduce costs and get projects moving. They have support from across the aisle because they address voters’ top concern: affordability. Faster approvals mean more homes and more reliable energy…

“…Texas has already proven that modernizing permitting and reducing unnecessary regulation can attract investment, encourage innovation and improve affordability.”

Predictable permitting has long been a priority for TAB at both the state and federal levels, which is why we are supporting this bill alongside other state chambers from across the country. To power a 21st-century economy and house a growing nation, we need to build it all.

Texas’ success story should be a lesson for Washington when it comes to delivering common-sense reforms to enhance affordability and unleash prosperity for communities everywhere.

–Gabriela von zur Muehlen, Senior Vice President & Chief Policy Officer, Texas Association of Business

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