The Department of the Interior’s recent actions to streamline environmental reviews for critical energy projects mark a watershed moment for Wyoming and the entire American West. As chairwoman of the Senate Western Caucus, I am thrilled that Secretary Doug Burgum is making these necessary reforms to unleash our domestic energy potential while maintaining appropriate environmental safeguards.
For too long, the National Environmental Policy Act process has been weaponized to obstruct responsible energy development across Wyoming and the West. What was intended as a framework for environmental consideration has morphed into an endless maze of bureaucratic hurdles and lawsuits that serve only to delay critical infrastructure and energy projects. NEPA is a barricade to the innovation our nation desperately needs.
The National Energy Emergency declaration rightfully identifies that “inadequate development of domestic energy resources leaves us vulnerable to hostile foreign actors and poses an imminent and growing threat to the United States’ prosperity and national security.” This is not hyperbole; it is reality. Wyoming families understand this better than most, as our communities have witnessed firsthand how regulatory overreach has stifled economic growth and undermined America’s energy dominance.
Wyoming sits atop some of America’s most abundant energy resources: coal, oil, natural gas, uranium, and more. Yet despite this wealth of resources, we’ve watched as permitting delays have prevented these assets from reaching markets and supporting American energy security. The department’s decision to expedite permitting processes will help correct this imbalance.
These streamlined procedures maintain environmental protections while acknowledging the urgent national security implications of our energy vulnerability. By allowing more efficient review processes, we can ensure that Wyoming’s resources help power America’s economy.
Critics will claim that expedited reviews sacrifice environmental protection by relaxing regulatory oversight, but this is simply false. Wyoming has long demonstrated that responsible resource development and environmental stewardship go hand in hand. Our state has some of the strongest environmental protections in the nation while remaining a leader in energy production. The streamlined NEPA process will maintain essential environmental safeguards while eliminating redundant processes that serve only to delay critical projects.
The energy resources beneath Wyoming’s soil represent not just economic opportunity for our communities but a solution to America’s pressing national security challenges. When we develop these resources under Wyoming’s responsible oversight, we reduce dependence on foreign energy from adversarial nations that don’t share our environmental standards or values.
DOUG BURGUM LAUDS TRUMP’S ENERGY POLICIES SHIFTING ‘180 DEGREES’ FROM BIDEN’S
As we confront growing international instability, America cannot afford to jeopardize its energy security by relying on the whims of erratic foreign powers. The Interior Department’s actions recognize this reality and take appropriate steps to address it. These reforms strike a balance between addressing immediate national security concerns and ensuring long-term environmental responsibility by streamlining the permitting process and maintaining core environmental protections.
Wyoming stands ready to lead America toward true energy independence. These regulatory reforms will help us fulfill that promise while ensuring that our lands, water, and air remain protected for generations to come. That’s the Wyoming way: practical solutions that respect both our need for economic development and our obligation to environmental stewardship.
Cynthia Lummis is the junior U.S. senator from Wyoming. She is a lifelong rancher and serves as chairwoman of the Senate Western Caucus.
This article was originally published at www.washingtonexaminer.com
