Govs. Stitt, Shapiro, Meyer, Morrisey, Sherrill Join Forces in Philadelphia
Philadelphia – A bipartisan group of governors gathered in Philadelphia today to highlight state progress on energy innovation and to reiterate calls for federal action to streamline approvals for energy infrastructure. The event was the latest in a series of gatherings connected to NGA Chair Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt’s NGA Chair’s Initiative, Reigniting the American Dream.
Last fall, more than a dozen governors released a package of reform priorities to improve federal permitting and regulatory processes for critical energy infrastructure projects. Gov. Stitt and Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro co-chaired that effort and led discussions today with Delaware Gov. Matt Meyer, New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill and West Virginia Gov. Patrick Morrisey.
“You cannot reignite the American Dream without abundant, affordable, reliable energy. Oklahoma is a shining example of the free market delivering, drawing businesses from around the world to invest and innovate,” said Gov. Stitt. “America already has the natural resources to unleash the ‘best of everything’ in energy, yet we’re one of the slowest nations in the developed world at permitting new projects. Governors across the aisle are on the front lines of this challenge, and we’re ready to solve the problem. We’ve led the way on commonsense permitting reform, and it’s time for Congress to do its part remove roadblocks that stand in the way of energy innovation.”
“In Pennsylvania, we’re taking decisive action to streamline permitting, build more energy, and protect consumers — and today’s meeting makes it clear that states are leading the way,” said Gov. Shapiro. “Pennsylvania is the second-largest energy producer in the country, and under my Administration we’re delivering the speed and certainty that major energy projects require. Governors from both parties are showing what’s possible when we work together to move projects forward and deliver results for our communities. It’s time for the federal government to follow the states’ lead, modernize its processes, and give these critical projects the certainty they need to grow our economy and lower costs for the American people.”
“This is a national imperative. We cannot reignite the American Dream if this is how long it takes to build things,” said Gov. Meyer. “I just signed an Executive Order about a month ago to cut red tape in permitting so that when people are creating jobs, creating energy projects, creating affordable housing, it happens fast. The average permitting timeline for a complex energy project in Delaware is 18 to 24 months. What we say in the Executive Order is the maximum it should ever take is 6 months. We need to be fast. In Silicon Valley, they say ‘move fast, break things.’ In Delaware, we say ‘move fast and build things.’”
“When we look at costs going up everywhere, including now with gas prices on the back of an affordability crisis, one of those key drivers that governors can have a huge impact on are utility prices,” said Gov. Sherrill. “That’s why I said I’m going to declare a state of emergency on utility costs and freeze rate hikes. With some of the actions governors are taking, we are really driving a future where we can expand power generation and bring down costs for so many people across the country. This is such a key area. It’s how we’re going to move into innovation with AI and other things. If we don’t get this right, I think we’re going to continue to see costs going up on working families and real problematic impacts on our economy.”
“In West Virginia, one of our strategic goals has really been to rise on the back of our energy resources,” said Gov. Morrisey. “I want to lift West Virginia out of poverty, and I want West Virginia to be that shining state in the mountains. And the way you do it is through good-paying jobs and creating the best business climate. In West Virginia, we’re finally starting to really utilize our energy resources in a way that’s looking out for consumers. Every bill we pass is trying to protect consumers… to make sure that the cost of the build-out is not borne by the consumers. I think there’s a lot of bipartisan agreement on the fact that consumers should not be holding the bag in West Virginia, but that’s not an excuse to not build and to not grow.”
Launched in July, the yearlong Reigniting the American Dream initiative focuses on three policy pillars:
- Unlocking Economic Opportunity: Advancing the American Dream through entrepreneurship, creating a good jobs economy and economic mobility
- Empowering Every Learner: Reimagining education and creating real on-the-job experiences for youth
- Energizing the Future: Powering America’s next chapter by powering our AI future
Learn more about the Reigniting the American Dream initiative, and about governors’ bipartisan permitting reform priorities, on the NGA website.
