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Originally Published in the Odessa American on December 29, 2025.

Standing to greatly facilitate the federal permitting of energy projects, the recent passage of the SPEED Act in the U.S. House of Representatives in Washington was hailed by Congressman August Pfluger and the Texas Independent Producers & Royalty Owners.

Representing the Permian Basin in the 11th Congressional District, Pfluger said America’s permitting process has been broken and in desperate need of reform for years.

“The SPEED Act is a common sense solution for modernizing the National Environmental Policy Act, ending litigation abuse and ensuring timely, efficient reviews all while removing Washington as a barrier to American innovation,” the San Angelo Republican said. “As the representative for the most prolific oil-producing region in the country I am committed to cutting red tape that hinders energy production.

“I was proud to vote for its passage and I thank House Natural Resources Committee Chairman Bruce Westerman of Arkansas for his leadership and recognition on this issue facing American energy.”

TIPRO President Ed Longanecker said from Austin that the Dec. 18 approval of House Resolution 4776 by a 221-196 margin was favorably received by his 3,000-member organization.

“Comprehensive permitting reform is a strategic imperative for our country and industry,” Longanecker said. “Without it America’s energy sector, particularly oil and natural gas, cannot operate at the pace or scale needed to meet domestic needs, support allies abroad or ensure long-term affordability for consumers.

“For too long federal infrastructure approvals have languished in bureaucratic limbo with critical energy projects delayed by years due to duplicative reviews, inconsistent agency coordination and open-ended legal challenges.”

He said permitting paralysis has real-world consequences.

“American families feel it at the gas pump,” Longanecker said. “Manufacturers see it in elevated energy costs and communities waiting for the economic benefits of infrastructure development including jobs, tax revenue and improved local services watch opportunity pass them by.

“In addition the coming AI revolution with the need to power massive data centers across the country will drive further demand for American natural gas. When domestic production is throttled, imports from less regulated producers fill the gap, increasing global emissions and undermining U.S. environmental standards.”

Longanecker said permitting reform is mission critical for the oil and natural gas industry.

“It unlocks investment, accelerates innovation, strengthens national security and ensures that the United States remains a reliable energy partner to the world,” he said. “At a time when energy reliability and affordability are top concerns for working Americans we strongly encourage expedited consideration in the U.S. Senate to help reshape the federal permitting process for energy infrastructure.”

Longanecker said the Standardizing Permitting and Expediting Economic Development Act represents a bipartisan effort to streamline federal permitting processes under NEPA, which has been in effect since 1969.

“Introduced on July 25, 2025, by Rep. Westerman and co-sponsored by Rep. Jared Golden, D-Maine, the bill aims to reduce bureaucratic delays that have long hindered infrastructure, energy and economic projects across the U.S.,” he said. “By addressing inefficiencies in environmental reviews the SPEED Act seeks to foster economic growth, enhance energy security and support critical developments such as transmission lines, data centers and manufacturing operations while maintaining core environmental safeguards.”