The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has released two new studies from the National Petroleum Council (NPC) that offer recommendations for modernizing the country’s energy infrastructure and streamlining federal permitting processes. The reports focus on gas-electric coordination and oil and natural gas infrastructure permitting, emphasizing the need for reforms to improve grid reliability and expand domestic energy production.
The NPC is a federal advisory committee to the Secretary of Energy, including members from the oil and natural gas industries, academia, and other stakeholders. These studies were prepared at the request of U.S. Secretary of Energy Chris Wright as part of a broader review called “Future Energy Systems.” They align with President Trump’s policy goals to promote American energy production, accelerate infrastructure development, and ensure affordable and reliable energy.
“For years, the Biden Administration advanced policies that made it harder to produce American energy,” said U.S. Secretary of Energy Chris Wright. “The National Petroleum Council’s findings confirm what President Trump has said from day one: America needs more energy infrastructure, less red tape, and serious permitting reform. These recommendations will help make energy more affordable for every American household.”
“The studies represent a significant collaborative effort to tackle some of the most complex challenges in our energy infrastructure,” said U.S. Department of Energy Assistant Secretary for the Hydrocarbons and Geothermal Energy Office Kyle Haustveit. “The National Petroleum Council recommendations will be instrumental in guiding the Department’s strategies for enhancing grid reliability and streamlining the development of essential energy projects.”
One study, Reliable Energy: Delivering on the Promise of Gas-Electric Coordination, examines how increasing demand for natural gas and electricity is straining pipelines in key regions across the United States. It proposes solutions such as prioritizing investment in new infrastructure, improving market frameworks through better planning by federal agencies like FERC Regional Transmission Organizations/Independent System Operators (RTO/ISOs), creating new pricing structures, ensuring compensation for reliable power generation, establishing accountability frameworks for independent producers, and enhancing performance metrics.
The second report builds on previous work from 2019 about transportation infrastructure for oil and natural gas. Titled Bottleneck to Breakthrough: A Permitting Blueprint to Build, it recommends steps such as clarifying rules under environmental laws like NEPA to speed up project approvals; expanding authority at agencies like FERC; confirming commercial agreements as evidence of market need; setting predictable timelines for project reviews; and limiting state powers under Section 401 of the Clean Water Act.
Both studies stress that prompt action by policymakers is necessary to maintain a reliable, affordable, and resilient national energy system.
Further details about these NPC studies are available on DOE’s website.
