ICYMI: Business Roundtable Discusses Urgent Need for Permitting Reform on the “Power Sector” Podcast

Business Roundtable Senior Vice President for Policy Matt Sonnesyn recently joined the “Power Sector” podcast to explain why modernizing infrastructure permitting is critical to strengthening U.S. competitiveness — and how targeted, bipartisan reforms can unlock American investment, innovation and job creation. 

On the case for permitting reform:

• “As we listen to the CEO members of Business Roundtable, and these are CEOs that lead America’s largest companies from all across the economy, we consistently hear that if it isn’t the biggest, one of the biggest levers to unlock America’s economic potential is modernizing our permitting process. Whether it’s building AI data centers, producing and delivering traditional and clean energy, or updating transportation networks, the U.S. just cannot afford to let critical infrastructure projects sit idle for years on end.”

On the economic impact of permitting delays:

• “McKinsey & Company estimated that it takes somewhere between four and five years for the average capital investment dollar to get through the federal permitting process … When you think about what kind of impact that has on our economy, it means that there’s as much as $1.5 trillion in potential investments that are awaiting federal permits across the different sectors.”

On implementing needed reforms:

• “This Administration [is] … dedicated to enacting those reforms, and in some cases even going further to try to make sure that agencies are giving project sponsors a reliable, sound review, but on a timetable that’s predictable and that will give them an up or down response in a much more reasonable time frame. And we think that’s incredibly important … But without legislation, those reforms don’t stay in place over time, but rather they switch back and forth depending on who’s in charge.”

Listen to the full podcast here.

Read more about Business Roundtable’s permitting reform priorities here.