Sen. McCormick pushes permitting reform

Energy permitting sounds like a paperwork story. It isn’t. It is increasingly the speed limit on whether the U.S. can add power, move gas, build transmission, and keep up with the electricity demand coming from data centers and industrial projects. That is why Sen. Dave McCormick has spent the past several days pushing the issue hard, after introducing the Unlock American Energy and Jobs Act on April 30 and then calling permitting reform the biggest thing the U.S. could do to stimulate the economy on May 11. ### What did McCormick actually do? He did two things. First, he introduced a Senate bill aimed at speeding federal approvals for energy infrastructure. Then he turned that bill into a broader economic message during site visits and media appearances in Pennsylvania, arguing that slow approvals are blocking investment, jobs, and new supply just as demand is climbing. (mccormick.senate.gov) ### What is he trying to fix? The basic complaint is that projects can clear financing, engineering, and customer demand — and still sit for years in a federal queue. McCormick’s office framed the problem as four permitting chokepoints that create uncertainty, raise costs, and delay construction. The headline number from his rollout is big on purpose: more than $1 trillion in critical infrastructure projects tied up in permitting, representing an estimated $2.4 trillion in unrealized economic activity. (mccormick.senate.gov) ### Why is this suddenly such a live issue? Because the grid is being asked to do more, faster. AI infrastructure, data centers, gas-fired generation, transmission upgrades, and industrial reshoring all need power. McCormick’s argument is that the U.S. does not mainly have an ideas problem or even a capital problem here — it has a throughput problem. If permits take too long, the whole buildout slips, and everything downstream gets more expensive. (mccormick.senate.gov) ### Why does permitting matter more than it used to? Because it now shapes the whole project plan, not just the legal workstream. When approvals are unpredictable, owners delay procurement, contractors hesitate to lock in crews and equipment, and designs stay looser for longer. Then, once approvals finally land, everyone tries to compress the schedule at once. Basically, the permit clock starts driving the construction clock. That is why developers treat regulatory timing as a core execution risk now, not a side issue. (breitbart.com) This last point is an inference from how delayed approvals affect project sequencing and investment decisions. ### Where do Chile and Argentina fit in? They show two different versions of the same problem. In Chile, mining and energy investors have spent years complaining about fragmented approvals and long timelines, though the country has also been moving reform proposals to speed permits. In Argentina, President Javier Milei said on May 11 that his government will send Congress a bill to expand incentives for large foreign investments beyond the existing RIGI framework, with emerging sectors a target. (mccormick.senate.gov) One country is trying to unclog the state. The other is sweetening the deal for capital. ### Is this just an energy story? Not really. Energy is the sharp edge because power shortages are visible fast. But the same logic applies to pipelines, transmission lines, mining projects, and big industrial sites. If approvals become the scarcest input, then the real competition is not just over capital or technology. It is over who can get a legally durable yes in time. (mine.nridigital.com) ### So what is the real takeaway? McCormick is trying to turn permitting from a niche regulatory gripe into a mainstream growth issue. The deeper point is bigger than one senator or one bill: in 2026, the countries that can approve major projects faster — without blowing up legal certainty — have a real advantage. (mccormick.senate.gov)