Responsible energy and infrastructure development can help create jobs, support local
businesses and industries while attracting new ones to our state, and strengthen Alabama’s
entire economy.
However, there is a major roadblock standing in the way of these critical efforts: Our broken, far-too-complicated federal permitting process.
The permitting and approvals process for new infrastructure and energy projects takes entirely too long, with environmental reviews on their own often taking several years (sometimes as much as a decade or longer) to complete. The entire process is riddled with inefficiencies and duplication of efforts, especially when multiple jurisdictions — local, state, and federal — are involved.
Not only does that serve to delay the actual construction of infrastructure and energy projects, but it also increases costs, undermines financial viability, and reduces incentives for private investment. That can leave critical projects stuck in a regulatory and bureaucratic quagmire, preventing any employment, economic, and environmental benefits from reaching Alabama communities.
Dysfunction in the federal permitting process could jeopardize the viability of many of the
projects slated to be funded by the $40 million Gov. Kay Ivey announced for Alabama cities
and counties through the Alabama Transportation Rehabilitation and Improvement Program-II.
That includes 33 road and bridge projects across the state that would address local
infrastructure needs and spur critical economic development.
We cannot afford to risk the future of these or other investments that would help Alabama
continue to grow our economy. Republicans have a long history of supporting permitting
reform in order to realize the economic benefits of infrastructure development. Now, with
passage of the infrastructure law, it appears there is growing bipartisan support for this issue.
Sen. Katie Boyd Britt and the rest of Alabama’s congressional delegation should seize this
opportunity to support and pass meaningful permitting reform as soon as reasonably possible.
James Lomax serves as a State Representative for Madison County
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