17 Years Is Too Long to Wait for a Permit

A power line and wind farm project first conceived in 2006 finally received a critical permit this month—a perfect example of why we need permitting reform, according to The Wall Street Journal (subscription).

What's going on: "The Interior Department's Bureau of Land Management gave the green light [last] Thursday for a high-voltage power line [in the SunZia project]. The permit allows the developer, Pattern Energy, to build the country's largest wind energy project across three counties in rural New Mexico and deliver that electricity to large markets in Arizona and California."

Why it's important: SunZia is emblematic of a flawed system, one which President Biden and legislators are now trying to fix, according to the Journal.

What they’re saying: "‘The White House doesn't have a prayer of implementing the infrastructure bill or the [Inflation Reduction Act] without permitting reform,’ said Rep. Garret Graves (R., La.), a lead Republican negotiator in the debt-ceiling talks. ‘And anyone who's actually out there trying to build things will tell you that.’"

What we’re doing: The NAM has been one of the foremost voices urging permitting reform on Capitol Hill.