Opinion: Make permitting easy again

July 31, 2024

Donald Trump promises to roll back regulations, but how about streamlining Washington’s creaky permitting for new projects? The time and cost it takes to start an infrastructure or energy project is one of America’s worst bottlenecks on growth, but Washington has been gridlocked on fixing the problem. See the 12 years it took to get permits to start construction on a transmission line to bring hydropower from Canada to New York City.

Republican presidential candidate and former U.S. President Donald Trump gestures at a campaign event ahead of the Republican presidential primary election in North Charleston, South Carolina, U.S. February 14, 2024. REUTERS/Sam Wolfe