This is a guest opinion column
A broken, dysfunctional, and far too slow state approval process is holding back Alabama’s businesses, our energy potential, and our entire economy. It is long overdue for our leaders in Washington to enact bipartisan permitting reform, as they did on infrastructure. In fact, reforming our inefficient permitting process is the only way to move forward with critical infrastructure projects and further strengthen our state’s economic future.
As the CEO of ITC Capital Partners, I know all too well the frustrating delays faced in obtaining federal approval these days. The whole process involves bureaucratic formalities that can add years to the timeline of a given project. This applies not only to rural broadband service providers, but also to a range of energy, infrastructure and economic development efforts.
Alabama’s congressional delegation, which includes Sen. Katie Boyd Britt, should urge their peers to pass state permitting reform to ensure that key infrastructure projects — whether it’s broadband rollout in rural areas, repairing our aging roads and bridges, or improvements of water security – can be promptly promoted behavior.
As they work on permit reform, Alabama lawmakers should also work to advance policies that will help our state continue to strengthen energy innovation by driving a comprehensive energy strategy that includes clean energy. Communities in East Alabama are poised to harness a more diverse array of energy resources, but it all depends on funding from Congress and the deployment of new technologies that will help reduce our environmental impact.
Reforming our broken state permitting process will help advance critical infrastructure projects across our state while allowing us to build a cleaner, more sustainable economy. Congress should seize this opportunity and approve the reform without delay.
Cam Lanier is CEO of ITC Capital Partners
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