Washington, DC – Today, U.S. Senator Joe Manchin (D-WV), Chairman of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, released the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2022, the comprehensive permitting reform text to be included in the Continuing Resolution (CR). As part of the Inflation Reduction Act signed into law on August 16^th, 2022, Chairman Manchin secured a commitment from Leader Schumer, Speaker Pelosi, and President Biden to pass this comprehensive permitting reform package before the end of the fiscal year on September 30^th, 2022. These federal permitting reforms for energy and minerals projects would allow for the increased American energy production provided for by the Inflation Reduction Act to get to the domestic and international markets that need them most - whether that be by pipeline or transmission line - providing relief at the pump and on energy bills while bolstering our national and international energy security.

Energy Independence and Security Act of 2022 text can be found here.

Summary of the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2022 can be found here.

Yesterday, Chairman Manchin also spoke on the Senate Floor and held a press conference to discuss the need for permitting reform.

On the need for permitting reform: “No matter what you want to build, whether it's transmission pipelines or hydropower dams, more often than not, it takes too long and drives up costs. You can double your cost within a five to six, seven-year period from what the original cost may have been. Look here at the energy prices, look what the people in America are facing right now. 200% increase in natural gas, increases to regular gasoline is up 67%, residential electricity is up 15%. We've got a good piece of legislation that is extremely balanced. And I think it'll prove itself in time. The bottom line is how much suffering and how much pain do you want to inflict on the American people for the time being? I can assure you, the longer the time goes on, the more the price goes up. That 's what we're facing in America today with energy. I've always said the energy we produce in America is cleaner – and can be even cleaner – than energy produced around the world…But yet, we have a situation where we 've been looking at other countries to do it and we won't do it for ourselves. I couldn't accept that.”

On opposition to permitting reform from far-left Senators and Republican leadership: “I guess the old saying goes that politics makes strange bedfellows. I have to be honest with you, I've been around for a long time in state politics and federal politics. I've never seen stranger bedfellows than Bernie Sanders and the extreme liberals siding with Republican leadership. In the Democratic caucus, I've never seen this happen. So, what I'm hearing is that this is revenge politics towards one person, me. And I'm thinking, this is not about me.”

On Republicans’ unwillingness to support critical permitting reform: “Let's look at our constituents. If my Republican friends and colleagues are attacking me personally, take it away from me personally, because that's going to be hard to go home and explain. To say, ‘We did this and we voted against it because of Joe Manchin’ makes no sense whatsoever. None whatsoever. So, we're in this quandary right now. They're going to vote and it 's going to be in the CR. And if they're willing to say they’re going to shut down the government because of a personal attack on me, or by not looking at the good of the country, that is what makes people sick about politics. It makes me sick about politics. You know me, if it looks good, I don 't care whether it was a Republican or Democratic idea. I'm for it. As long as I can go home and explain it, it makes sense.”

To learn about more permitting timelines and energy prices, click here.

To watch a video of Chairman Manchin’s Senate floor speech yesterday, click here.

To watch a video of Chairman Manchin’s press conference yesterday, click here.

To learn more about the permitting reform legislation, click here.

To learn more about the Mountain Valley Pipeline, click here.