Permit Reform and U.S. Manufacturing—What’s Stalling Projects and What Congress May Do Next

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In this episode, Ballard Spahr’s Brendan Collins speaks with Michael Davin, Senior Director of Energy and Resources Policy at the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM), about why permitting reform is a top priority for manufacturers.

Davin explains that manufacturers support environmental protections but face permitting processes he describes as outdated, unpredictable, and costly, contributing to significant delays and reported costs to manufacturers of up to $8 billion per year (per NAM’s “America on Hold” report, prepared with the Foundation for American Innovation). He highlights key reform themes: predictable timelines, streamlined treatment of routine permit changes, greater permit certainty once approvals are issued, and litigation guardrails to reduce last-minute project disruption.

The discussion also covers the current congressional landscape, including Senate negotiations involving leaders such as Sens. Shelley Moore Capito and Sheldon Whitehouse and House activity such as the SPEED Act (focused on NEPA-related reforms) and the PERMIT Act (focused on Clean Water Act reforms). Davin notes that a potential legislative path could involve attaching permitting reforms to must-pass bills like surface transportation reauthorization.

Davin closes by emphasizing that permitting reform is also tied to energy affordability and meeting growing energy demand by enabling faster development of energy production, generation, and infrastructure.

A transcript of the recording will be available soon.

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