It’s no secret that America’s infrastructure needs investment and attention. There’s been ample talk across the board about what should be done, and how to go about doing it. Now, thankfully, President Trump has announced details of his infrastructure plan, teeing up the potential for significant change and improvement across our great nation.
By creating a new $200 billion in federal money set to go towards infrastructure, the President is planning to use this investment as a catalyst to spur an additional $1.5 trillion that will be invested in our infrastructure from State, Local, and Private sources. On top of the simple finances of it all, the President’s plan would also help to streamline the permitting process for important energy infrastructure projects, namely pipelines.
Too many pipeline projects are delayed and held up by piles of red tape, often causing projects to wait months or years to receive the proper permits. This is simply unsustainable if we want our infrastructure to be competitive and sufficient. In order to meet the growing international demand for natural gas and oil products, as well as to be able to transport the sky high quantities of our natural resources that we continue to produce, it’s vital that we have a strong and capable pipeline infrastructure system.
CEPI is thrilled to see a commitment coming from the White House on infrastructure, and we’re glad to see action taken to remedy the arduous process that projects have to go through. Streamlining the permitting process will help projects get their feet beneath them sooner, creating thousands of jobs and bolstering our energy security along the way.