CIPA Joins National Coalition Urging Congress to Pass Permitting Reform

CIPA has joined a broad national coalition urging congressional leaders to advance the Bipartisan American Affordability and Jobs Act of 2026 (S. 5653) and deliver comprehensive permitting reform this year. In an October 21 letter to House and Senate leadership, organizations representing energy, manufacturing, housing, construction, transportation, and labor called for action to reduce infrastructure delays, unlock investment, and improve affordability for American consumers.

The coalition’s message is straightforward: America’s ability to provide affordable energy, expand manufacturing, and strengthen national security depends on its ability to build. Lengthy environmental reviews, duplicative procedures, unpredictable approval timelines and prolonged litigation increase project costs and discourage investment. Those obstacles ultimately affect workers, businesses, and consumers who depend on reliable infrastructure and reasonably priced energy.

The letter urges Congress to modernize the National Environmental Policy Act, Clean Water Act Section 401, the Nationwide Permit program and judicial review procedures. The coalition argues that reforms should produce timely, predictable, and legally durable decisions while maintaining environmental protections. A central priority is ensuring that legal challenges reach resolution promptly and that final agency approvals provide sufficient certainty for projects to move forward.

For California’s independent oil and natural gas producers, that certainty is essential. Producers must commit capital, retain workers, and plan operations around regulatory decisions. An approval process that stretches indefinitely, or leaves completed reviews vulnerable to repeated delays, makes those commitments more difficult. Predictable permitting allows companies to invest in production, maintenance and infrastructure needed to serve continuing energy demand.

The coalition also emphasizes that the proposed package is technology neutral. Its objective is a permitting system capable of supporting projects across the economy, including energy production and delivery, manufacturing facilities, transportation networks, ports, waterways, and critical minerals development. The letter presents reform as a shared economic necessity, with benefits extending well beyond any single industry.

CIPA joined organizations including the American Petroleum Institute, Independent Petroleum Association of America, American Fuel & Petrochemical Manufacturers, National Association of Manufacturers, U.S. Chamber of Commerce, National Association of Home Builders, and labor organizations. The breadth of participation demonstrates how widely permitting obstacles affect investment, employment, and the delivery of essential goods and services.

The national security implications also strengthen the case for action. Reliable domestic energy production and delivery infrastructure support economic resilience and the ability to respond to supply disruptions. For CIPA, preserving California’s production and its connections to local refineries is part of that broader responsibility. Federal permitting reform would help address one layer of uncertainty, while California must also confront the state and local barriers affecting its own energy supply.

The coalition urged congressional leaders to bring the legislation to the floor this fall, describing the package as the product of years of bipartisan negotiations and stakeholder engagement. CIPA’s participation reinforces its support for a practical permitting framework that protects the environment, provides clear decisions, and allows responsible projects to proceed. American workers and businesses are prepared to build; government must provide a workable path to do so.