National Petroleum Council Urges Changes To U.S. Permitting Process

Last week, the National Petroleum Council, a federal advisory committee to the U.S. Department of Energy that is made up of more than 200 energy experts and was tasked in June with providing policy recommendations on the U.S. energy market, released two reports: “Reliable Energy: Delivering on the Promise of Gas Electric Coordination” and “Bottleneck to Breakthrough: A Permitting Blueprint to Build.” The “reports reflect months of rigorous analysis by an exceptional group of professionals who share a commitment to ensuring that America’s energy systems remain reliable, affordable and secure,” said NPC Chair Alan Armstrong.

The oil and natural gas infrastructure permitting report urged significant changes to the permitting process for energy projects, as well as better interagency coordination and the adoption of predictable schedules that both protect the environment and allow the energy sector to flourish.

The gas-electric coordination report warned the growing interdependence of natural gas and electric systems has created structural and operational misalignments that, if unaddressed, pose risks to system reliability. That report called for improved market incentives, operational practices, and accountability frameworks to prevent disruptions that could cascade across the grid.

The NPF’s work is not done. It will issue further energy recommendations in a forthcoming report that will include “subcomponents that address longer-term issues related to infrastructure security, technology innovation, and analyses supporting U.S. energy trade and competitiveness globally.” In the meantime, read the full permitting report at this link. Read the full gas-electric coordination report at this link.