Law & Principles

Armstrong seeks to cut red tape, reduce energy costs

July 27, 2026

Ray Carter

Demand for energy is surging in the United States, but production of energy may not be able to keep pace with that demand due to current regulatory hurdles. That means all consumers, including households, could see energy prices continue to climb in future years if nothing changes.

To prevent that scenario and protect Oklahomans from ever-surging energy costs, U.S. Sen. Alan Armstrong, R-Okla., has filed the American Energy and Mineral Infrastructure Act to streamline federal permitting, reduce opportunities for frivolous litigation that delays projects, and prevent politically motivated vetoes of critical American energy and mineral infrastructure.

“America has abundant energy resources and an ability to innovate, but these competitive advantages mean nothing if we can’t build,” Armstrong said. “This isn’t about cutting corners—it’s about creating a permitting system that is faster, more predictable, and accountable. This bill replaces delay with accountability, uncertainty with predictability, and helps ensure America can meet growing energy demand, strengthen our economy, and stay ahead of our competitors.”

The legislation strengthens the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission’s (FERC’s) role as the lead agency for interstate natural gas pipelines and liquefied natural gas (LNG) facilities, ensuring that no single state can unilaterally block federally authorized projects and reducing delays caused by duplicative or overlapping reviews.

The bill also requires consistent evidence-based environmental decision-making and includes targeted reforms to the Clean Water Act 401 review process. It eliminates duplicative review, extends permit terms, and incorporates meaningful judicial reforms to avoid baseless litigation delays.

The proposal would reform the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) by requiring a targeted scope of review that prevents overly expansive environmental analyses and establishes judicial review standards.

U.S. Sens. James Lankford, R-Okla., Rick Scott, R-Fla., Cynthia Lummis, R-Wyo., and Katie Britt, R-Ala., joined Armstrong as authors of the legislation.

The legislation has drawn support from a broad coalition that includes labor, natural gas, mining, electric utilities, pipelines, manufacturers, public power, rural cooperatives, policy organizations, and infrastructure developers.

“If we want to help lower costs for families and jumpstart America building again, we need to eradicate the mountain of red tape weighing down our permitting system and instead design one that is predictable and grounded in clear rules,” said Brent Gardner, chief government affairs officer at Americans for Prosperity (AFP).

“The men and women of the United Association of Union Plumbers and Pipefitters (UA) are proud to build and maintain the critical infrastructure that delivers affordable and reliable energy to American communities,” said Mark McManus, general president of the United Association of Union Plumbers and Pipefitters (UA). “The American Energy and Mineral Infrastructure Act will help our members get to work without unnecessary delays or uncertainty.”

“As a Boilermaker out of Local 154 and someone who represents thousands of tradesmen and women across Central Pennsylvania, I’ve watched too many good energy projects get tied up in red tape and lawsuits for years,” said Shawn Steffee, president of South Central Pennsylvania Building Trades. “This bill finally cuts through a lot of that nonsense so we can get shovels in the ground and put our guys to work.”

“Public power utilities need a more predictable and timelier permitting process to plan, invest, and deliver the infrastructure their communities depend on,” said Scott Corwin, president and CEO of the American Public Power Association.

“We particularly appreciate the bill’s efforts to address long-standing Clean Water Act permitting challenges that have contributed to delays and frustrated deployment of critical infrastructure projects,” said Amy Andryszak, president and CEO of the Interstate Natural Gas Association of America (INGAA). “As energy demand continues to grow, policies that support the timely development of safe, reliable infrastructure are vital for America’s economic competitiveness and national security.”

“American families are experiencing the costs of a broken permitting process in real time,” said Karen Harbert, president and CEO of the American Gas Association (AGA). “Unnecessary and detrimental delays and a legal system that bogs down new projects for years in court are increasing the cost to build essential infrastructure that’s required to meet the needs of our communities, our economy and our national security.”

“The American Energy and Mineral Infrastructure Act of 2026 recognizes a simple reality: American prosperity depends on abundant, reliable energy,” said Brook A. Simmons, president of The Petroleum Alliance of Oklahoma. “As electricity demand surges at an unprecedented pace, natural gas will be essential to keeping the lights on, powering innovation, and strengthening our economy.”

“Senator Armstrong has a deep understanding that America cannot meet our country’s growing energy demand without building more infrastructure–and we cannot build more infrastructure without permitting reform,” said Toby Z. Rice, president and CEO of the EQT Corporation, a natural gas company. “Just as importantly, we cannot keep energy affordable for American families and businesses if critical projects are delayed for years by an outdated permitting system.”

“Electrification, advanced manufacturing, and AI are fueling a surge in energy demand that the nation’s permitting system was never designed to meet,” said Lori Ziebart, president and CEO of the Energy Infrastructure Council (EIC). “This legislation meets that challenge—streamlining federal review, restoring regulatory certainty, and reducing the litigation risk that has hindered critical infrastructure projects.”

“America’s infrastructure deficit is the product of decades of bureaucratic delay, duplicative review, and regulatory uncertainty that has made it nearly impossible to develop the domestic mineral production our economy depends on,” said Chris Greissing, president of the Essential Minerals Association. “The American Energy and Mineral Infrastructure Act fixes that by bringing together commonsense, bipartisan permitting reforms—from incorporating water quality review into FERC’s unified NEPA process to modernizing environmental review so it’s rigorous but not endless—ensuring federal permitting serves the public interest, not the interests of those who profit from obstruction.”