U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski-AK, left, listens as Sen. Joe Manchin-WV, right, speaks during a dialogue session titled ?’What?•s Ahead in Washington??“ at CERAWeek 2023, held at the Hilton Americas Friday, March 10, 2023 in Houston.for energy project permits are hampering the ability of the U.S. to supply oil and gas to its own citizens, two U.S. senators said Friday while calling for an overhaul of the system.
The energy industry has blamed permitting for delaying new projects — including pipelines, carbon capture technology and export terminals for oil and gas. In some cases, acquiring necessary permits can take more than three years and face ongoing reviews. Murkowski pointed to ConocoPhillips' Willow oil drilling project, in her home state, that has been bogged down in the permitting process for five years.
The Biden Administration is expected to make a decision on the Willow project within days. Still, Murkowski slammed the long permitting process, saying ConocoPhillips has not been able to move the project forward at a time when the world is looking to the U.S. for more oil and gas in the wake of Russia’s war against Ukraine, which upended global energy markets.
“You cannot let perfect be the enemy of the good,” Manchin said. “You have got to be able to accelerate what these agencies can do.”