U.S. Senator Alan Armstrong (R-OK) recently introduced S. 4944, the American Energy and Mineral Infrastructure Act, which would reform federal permitting under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and the Clean Water Act (CWA), promote interagency coordination for the review of natural gas pipeline projects, and clarify permissible hardrock mining activities for permitting purposes.
APPA President and CEO Scott Corwin issued the following statement in support of the bill:
“The American Public Power Association applauds Senator Armstrong’s introduction of the American Energy and Mineral Infrastructure Act of 2026 as an important step toward advancing federal permitting reform. Public power utilities need a more predictable and timelier permitting process to plan, invest, and deliver the infrastructure their communities depend on. Building on bipartisan progress in the House, this legislation helps move the conversation forward and underscores the urgency of getting projects approved and built.”
APPA’s support for the bill is included in the press release from Sen. Armstrong’s office.
The bill mirrors bipartisan efforts in the House of Representatives to address permitting reform, namely carrying over provisions from H.R. 4776, the SPEED Act, and H.R. 3898, the PERMIT Act, which focus on NEPA and CWA, respectively.
The American Energy and Mineral Infrastructure Act would add judicial review requirements and streamline environmental permitting procedures to ensure timely and practical reviews that provide more certainty for project developers facing delays and expenses under the current process.
The bill text is available here, a one-page summary is available here, and a section-by-section summary here.
On Wednesday, Armstrong held an event to rally support for the bill which was attended by numerous other senators and representatives.
Those in attendance included Sens. John Barrasso (R-WY), Cynthia Lummis (R-WY), Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), Steve Daines (R-MT), Jon Husted (R-OH), Peter Welch (D-VT), along with Reps. Mike Collins (R-GA), Mariannette Miller-Meeks (R-IA), Troy Balderson (R-OH), and Pete Stauber (R-MN).
Governor Kevin Stitt (R-OK), who appointed Sen. Armstrong to the seat following now-Secretary of Homeland Security Markwayne Mullin’s resignation, was also in attendance to speak about how permitting reform is the main reason he asked Sen. Armstrong to assume the role.
Oklahoma law forbids Armstrong for standing in the special election to fill the remainder of the term, giving him a short window to act on his top priority to achieve federal permitting reform.
APPA said that the legislation is not likely to become law, but it is a significant proposal that consolidates the work of the House on permitting reform.
Including measures that passed the House with bipartisan support is a strong indication that there is agreement on those provisions and a sense of urgency to achieve meaningful reform as the legislative calendar winds down for the 119th Congress, APPA said.
