Real Clear Wire by Gentry Collins 7/13/2023
The recent short-lived revolt in Russia highlights how instability in Vladimir Putin’s government could quickly spill over into chaos. Regardless of who ultimately maintains or assumes power in the Kremlin, the American people could be held hostage to Russia’s whims. That’s not just because Russia possesses the world’s largest nuclear arsenal. It’s also because energy markets in the U.S. and our allies remain dependent on Russia.
The good news is that there is no shortage of American innovators who are working on solutions. About 30 miles off the Texas coast, the Sea Port Oil Terminal will become the nation's largest oil export terminal, adding 2 million barrels per day to the U.S. oil export capacity. Meanwhile, Alaska is moving forward with a historic project that supplants Russian gas for our Asian allies, such as Japan. In April, the Biden administration gave the greenlight to the $39 billion Alaska LNG Project, a key priority for Governor Mike Dunleavy which will include construction of an 800-mile pipeline.
The bad news is that the impact of these game-changing projects could be greatly delayed by America’s broken permitting process that requires approvals from an endless array of (often conflicting) agencies and stakeholders. The federal permitting process, under just one law called the National Environmental Policy Act, takes on average four-and-a-half years for an environmental review, followed by additional years for state and local processes and litigation. Sometimes, it can take decades as environmental extremists who use lawyers to exploit any possible legal loophole to delay and increase costs.
Energy dependence on Russia, not to mention China for the basic materials needed to power our economy, is simply not an option America or our allies can accept. That means finally waking up and fixing the antiquated permitting process that is holding back American energy independence and putting our national security at risk. We have been blessed with an abundance of natural resources.
All we lack is the political will to get the job done.
More:
https://www.realclearwire.com/articles/2023/07/13/american_energy_independence_is_a_national_security_priority_965702.html
