Click here to watch Senator Barrasso’s opening remarks.

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senator John Barrasso (R-WY), ranking member of the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources (ENR), delivered remarks at a business meeting to consider S.4753, the bipartisan Energy Permitting Reform Act of 2024.  

Last week, Senator Barrasso and Senator Joe Manchin (I-WV), chairman of ENR, introduced the Energy Permitting Reform Act of 2024, to strengthen American energy security by accelerating the permitting process for energy and mineral projects of all types in the United States.

Read the text of the Energy Permitting Reform Act of 2024 here.

Read the section-by-section summary of the Energy Permitting Reform Act of 2024 here.

Read the one-pager for the Energy Permitting Reform Act of 2024 here.

Senator Barrasso’s remarks: 

“Well thank you, Mr. Chairman.

“Thank you for holding today’s business meeting.

“This morning, we are going to consider S. 4753 – the Energy Permitting Reform Act of 2024.

“This is a bipartisan bill that Chairman Manchin and I have negotiated – with input from members of this committee – over the last year.

“The bill is a targeted set of consequential reforms within the committee’s jurisdiction.

“It is going to boost American energy and mineral production.

“It will help lower costs for American families.

“It will strengthen our economic and national security and the security of our allies around the world.

“Our bill will guarantee future access to oil and natural gas resources on federal lands and waters.

“It will permanently end President Biden’s reckless ban on new liquefied natural gas (LNG) exports.

“It will fix the disastrous Rosemont decision by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.

“And it will ensure that new transmission lines meaningfully improve electric reliability and actually benefit customers.

“Our bill includes a series of reforms for onshore oil and gas leasing and permitting.

“For example, it requires the Secretary of the Interior to lease acreage that oil and gas producers actually want.

“It also eliminate duplicative requirements for federal drilling permits on state and private land.

“Even a new administration would not be able to enact these reforms under the current law.

“Our bill also mandates at least one oil and gas lease sale in the Gulf of Mexico each year from 2025 through 2029.

“That’s five total lease sales.

“Each sale offers at least 60 million acres.

“Under existing law, a new administration would only be able to hold two lease sales in the next four years.

“Our bill permanently ends President Biden’s so-called ‘pause’ on new American LNG exports.

“President Biden’s ‘pause’ has been a gift to Russia and Qatar – the world’s other leading LNG exporters.

“Our bill requires the Secretary of Energy to act on LNG export applications within 90 days.

“If the Secretary fails to act, the application would be deemed approved.

“Our bill also secures access to critical minerals on federal lands.

“It fixes the Rosemont decision by authorizing mill sites on federal land whether or not that land has minerals.

“It would eliminate a legal strategy that opponents have pursued for nearly 30 years to block access to minerals on federal lands.

“Even a new administration would not be able to fix the Rosemont decision under current law.

“On electric transmission, I followed three principles.

“First, any changes to existing law must improve electric reliability.

“Second, any changes must not result in more subsidies.

“And third, any changes must improve the status quo for states, for electric customers, for and landowners.

“And I believe our bill fulfills these principles.

“Our bill eliminates the Secretary of Energy’s authority to designate National Interest Electric Transmission Corridors.

“The Secretary’s process has become far too political.

“It is something that Senator Hawley has rightly opposed.

“In its place, the bill requires a transmission developer to show the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) that its proposed line would meaningfully improve electric reliability.

“Under current law, the Commission already has broad authority to allocate the costs of new transmission lines.

“Our bill prohibits the Commission from allocating costs to customers, who receive little to no benefit from a new line.

“It would also require the Commission to consider a specified list of customer benefits that can be quantified and objectively measured.

“Our bill puts guardrails on the Commission’s next rulemaking.

“FERC staff has already begun developing a rule on interregional transmission planning.

“Our bill protects the discretion of the 11 existing transmission planning regions.

“Our bill makes it more likely that neighboring regions will only support lines necessary to improve electric reliability.

“I want to thank Chairman Manchin and his entire staff for their patience and perseverance.

“We would not be here today without their efforts.

“Our negotiations were not easy.

“At many points along the way, at many points, it was far from clear that we would ever reach an agreement. And even know I know that members want to do more – especially on hydropower and you have my commitment that we will keep working on it.

“Despite the expectations of many – we have put together what I believe is a very strong piece of legislation before us.

“And, for that reason, I encourage all members of the committee to support it.

“Thank you, Mr. Chairman.”