The Honorable David Vitter
United States Senate
Washington, DC 20510
The Honorable Rob Bishop
U.S. House of Representatives
Washington, DC 20515
Dear Senator Vitter and Representative Bishop:
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the world’s largest business federation representing the interests of more than three million businesses and organizations of every size, sector, and region, strongly supports the “Energy Production and Project Delivery Act of 2013,” which would help meet the growing demand for energy in the United States by removing barriers that delay the regulatory approval process for new energy projects.
The delay of energy projects is a major problem. The Chamber’s Project No Project initiative (www.projectnoproject.com) has identified 351 proposed renewable, coal, natural gas, nuclear, and transmission projects in 49 states that have been delayed or cancelled due to “Not in My Back Yard” (NIMBY) activism, a broken permitting process, and a calcified regulatory system that allows for limitless lawsuits by opponents of development. In 2011, the Chamber released a first-of-its-kind economic study concluding that the construction phase alone for these 351 projects could yield $1.1 trillion in GDP and 1.9 million jobs annually. Construction of only the largest project in each state would generate $449 billion in economic value and 572,000 annual jobs.
The Energy Production and Project Delivery Act of 2013 would help eliminate many of the typical Project No Project barriers by removing the red tape that stands in the way of progress. This bill would streamline permits, stop Executive Branch inaction on oil and gas leases, cut back on activists’ abusive lawsuits to stop projects, and require federal agencies to consider economic and employment impacts when they make regulations. The Chamber strongly supports the Energy Production and Project Delivery Act of 2013 and stands ready to work with you to improve the nation’s economy by increasing domestic energy production.
Sincerely,
R. Bruce Josten
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