Dear Chairmen Capito and Lee, and Ranking Members Whitehouse and Heinrich:
On behalf of the companies that produce, transport, and deliver natural gas across the nation, the Natural Gas Council strongly supports S. 5653, the Bipartisan American Affordability and Jobs Act of 2026. We commend you for reaching a bipartisan agreement that represents meaningful progress toward a more efficient, predictable, and durable federal permitting process.
Reliable and affordable energy is essential to America’s economic competitiveness, energy security, and meeting growing demand for electricity. Natural gas infrastructure plays a critical role in supporting these objectives, as well as domestic manufacturing and energy exports. Meeting increased energy demand requires continued investment in natural gas production, transportation, and delivery infrastructure that reliably and affordably serves homes, businesses, manufacturers, and electric generators.
However, complex, duplicative, and often unpredictable federal permitting processes can delay critical infrastructure investments, increase costs, and create prolonged uncertainty without necessarily improving environmental outcomes. S. 5653 would establish a more efficient, coordinated, and predictable federal permitting framework that maintains rigorous environmental review and public participation while providing greater certainty for infrastructure development.
