WASHINGTON – National Governors Association (NGA) Vice Chair Utah Governor Spencer Cox and Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards released the following statement on the formation of a bipartisan working group that will collaborate to improve the energy and infrastructure delivery process to provide better results for states and territories.
“Infrastructure investment and energy that is affordable and reliable are keys to unlocking opportunity in communities of all sizes. The $1 trillion infrastructure package presents a historic opportunity to advance America’s ability to compete in the global economy, but the United States is among the slowest nations in the developed world in approving and completing infrastructure projects. We can accelerate the timeline for infrastructure and energy-related projects around the country while still protecting the environment. Governors are working together across party lines and state lines on common sense solutions to safely speed up the process to deliver energy and infrastructure benefits nationwide.”
The Governors Energy and Infrastructure Working Group met in Washington, D.C., last week to share best practices and develop strategies to improve the infrastructure delivery process for a variety of projects, including energy generation projects, pipelines, electric transmission lines, rail lines, levees, and roads.
The Working Group will focus on solutions to streamline the permitting process, address legal challenges and tackle procurement issues to speed delivery for projects across four categories: 1) energy transmission (pipeline and electric transmission lines); 2) utility-scale energy generation (including oil and gas, renewable and nuclear); 3) transportation; and 4) mining and materials.
The following Governors are participating in the Governors Energy and Infrastructure Working Group on behalf of all 55 states and territories:
- Utah Governor NGA Vice Chair Spencer Cox (Working Group co-chair)
- Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards (Working Group co-chair)
- Maine Governor Janet Mills
- Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt
- New Hampshire Governor Chris Sununu
- Puerto Rico Governor Pedro Pierluisi
- Montana Governor Greg Gianforte
