The cannon is loaded. It’s time to light the fuse on America’s building boom

Permitting reform has been one of Washington’s most discussed and least accomplished priorities for years. That trend is now shifting. Stakeholders who rarely agree on energy policy are finding common ground around a simple and urgent idea: America needs to build.Across industries, regions, and political perspectives, permitting reform has emerged as a shared priority and an essential action needed to meet today’s infrastructure, energy, manufacturing, and housing needs.The question is no longer whether reform is necessary. The question is whether Congress will seize this growing momentum and deliver. The U.S. produced a record amount of natural gas in 2025 and is on track to set a record again in 2026, according to the Energy Information Administration. This production, driven by continued growth in key producing regions across the country, coincides with the U.S. becoming the largest exporter of liquefied natural gas to our overseas allies. Both trends help strengthen domestic and global energy security while simultaneously supporting U.S. economic security.As the importance of U.S.-produced natural gas grows at home and abroad, American consumers and businesses continue to benefit from a reliable, affordable, and abundant energy supply. Even amid geopolitical uncertainty and global market disruptions, domestic natural gas prices remained relatively stable, shielding Americans from the volatility experienced in many other parts of the world.That advantage is not an accident. It is the result of decades of investment, innovation, policy choices, and infrastructure development. We risk losing that advantage if our legislators do not take action.The infrastructure needed to move natural gas from producing regions to families, businesses, manufacturers, power plants, and export facilities is increasingly constrained, and new projects often face years of delays, overlapping reviews, and regulatory uncertainty. Projects that are clearly in the public interest and needed to support growing demand can spend more time and money navigating permitting processes and extended legal delays than they do on construction.That challenge extends beyond natural gas. It affects all forms of energy, electric transmission lines, manufacturing facilities, modes of transportation, and countless other investments critical to American competitiveness.We know that energy demand will only continue to grow, which makes America’s ability to build the infrastructure that transports it safely, reliably, and affordably an economic imperative.If we cannot efficiently permit and construct the projects required to meet growing demand, consumers will ultimately pay the price through higher costs and reduced reliability. Improving the outdated and burdensome permitting process will enable essential energy to better reach the families and businesses who need it.Simply put, Americans cannot meet the challenges of the coming decades with a permitting system designed for the needs of the 1970s.Congressional leaders have worked diligently across the aisle and in both chambers to elevate this issue and identify practical solutions. In the Senate, leaders including Sens. Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Mike Lee (R-UT), Martin Heinrich (D-NM), and Alan Armstrong (R-OK) have led bipartisan negotiations to modernize federal environmental reviews and permitting processes.In the House of Representatives, lawmakers have also advanced several bipartisan permitting bills, underscoring a growing consensus that the nation must modernize project approvals while maintaining strong environmental standards.And while recent regulatory changes and the One Big Beautiful Bill Act mark important steps forward, the work is far from finished. A meaningful bill should include targeted updates to the National Environmental Policy Act and Section 401 of the Clean Water Act, alongside necessary revisions to the judicial review process.Too often, permitting reform has fallen victim to unrelated political stalemates or competing political priorities. Today, however, alignment is stronger than it has been in years. That is why this moment and this momentum matter.Congress has a narrow window to act before the coming election cycle consumes attention and we lose that momentum. Missing this opportunity would mean continuing a status quo that serves no one.AMERICA’S REAL AI THREAT ISN’T DEFEAT BY CHINA — IT’S BECOMING BEIJINGAmerica’s energy success has always been built on abundance, innovation, and the ability to turn ideas into reality. To maintain that success, we must be able to build the infrastructure that supports it.The momentum is here. The coalition is here. The need is undeniable. The time to pass durable permitting reform is now.Karen Harbert is the president and CEO of the American Gas Association. Edith Naegele is the president and CEO of the Independent Petroleum Association of America. Amy Andryszak is the president and CEO of the Interstate Natural Gas Association of America and INGAA Foundation. Dena Wiggins is the president and CEO of the Natural Gas Supply Association. Dustin Meyer is the senior vice president of policy, economics, and regulatory affairs at the American Petroleum Institute.\