John Curtis

There is a frustrating reality about building infrastructure in America: when a project is needed, getting it approved can take years. New energy projects, power lines and grid upgrades face layers of paperwork, overlapping reviews and legal challenges before construction can even begin. For a growing state like Utah, those delays have real consequences.

When projects get stuck in the approval process, communities wait longer for the infrastructure they need. Delays can drive up costs, hold back investment and make it harder to keep pace with growing demand for electricity. Utah needs a permitting process that allows necessary projects to move forward without getting bogged down in red tape.

Sen. Mike Lee deserves credit for leading negotiations on the Bipartisan American Affordability and Jobs Act of 2026. Working across party lines, he has helped put a serious permitting package before Congress. Sen. John Curtis deserves credit for supporting reform, too. Now it’s time for the rest of the Senate and all of Congress to act!

The need for action is clear here at home. Utah has geothermal resources that could strengthen our energy supply, but developing them requires navigating federal approvals. In congressional testimony last year, the Utah Office of Energy Development identified lengthy federal reviews as an obstacle to geothermal investment. Utah lawmakers have worked hard to streamline regulations at the state level, but significant obstacles remain because the federal government owns much of the land needed for geothermal development.

The challenge goes beyond geothermal energy. Solar fields, wind farms, nuclear reactors, fossil fuels and energy storage projects all face regulatory hurdles caused by outdated federal permitting processes. The transmission lines that carry power to Utah’s homes and businesses also face years — sometimes decades — of bureaucratic delays.

Utah is not alone in facing these challenges. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce, Business Roundtable, National Association of Manufacturers and American Petroleum Institute have all called for improvements to federal permitting. Different industries face different challenges, but they share a need for a process that allows responsible construction to proceed without years of unnecessary delays.

A more predictable process can also help address energy costs. Unnecessary delays can increase project costs and slow the development of new energy supplies and transmission capacity. This, in turn, increases costs for everyday consumers. Clear timelines and decisions based on a project’s merits can help businesses plan, encourage investment and create construction jobs.

That is also why permitting reform matters to the broader push for American energy abundance. President Donald Trump has emphasized the need to expand domestic energy production, but producing power is only part of the equation. An all-of-the-above energy strategy also requires the infrastructure to deliver that power where it is needed.

Lee has helped move permitting reform toward a bipartisan legislative solution, and Curtis’ support is important to getting it done. Both senators have an opportunity to build on this progress and help deliver results for Utah and the country.

The Bipartisan American Affordability and Jobs Act of 2026 offers a path toward modernizing a process that too often stands in the way of needed infrastructure. Utah needs reliable power, economic opportunity and a permitting system that allows responsible projects to move forward. We can make the most of our energy resources without letting unnecessary red tape stand in the way.