You read the title right. It takes 4 1/2 years to get a permit to build infrastructure in the U.S. And then the litigation starts. Which takes another four years.
In the time it takes for the U.S. to issue the permit, China built an electricity grid about the size of America’s.
In this episode, guest Chad Whiteman, Vice President, Environment and Regulatory Affairs with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, talks with hosts Adam Murray, Bryan Nix, and Stuart Saulters about the need to update the permitting process in the U.S. — with processes put in place by legislation passed 50-60 years ago.
Sensible reforms would make the process predictable, efficient, and transparent while providing all relevant stakeholders with opportunities to provide input within a reasonable and consistent timeframe.
Whiteman and hosts dig into complexities of federal permitting, the impact on vital infrastructure, and the urgent need to accelerate projects while protecting the environment.
About Chad Whiteman
Chad Whiteman is Vice President, Environment and Regulatory Affairs with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. He has more than two decades of experience working on energy and environmental policy, including developing and implementing Clean Air Act policies at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and leading executive branch review of regulatory policies for the White House.
Whiteman is a Clean Air Act expert and is responsible for developing the Chamber’s Global Energy Institute clean air policies and strategies as they relate to Congress and the executive branch.
Before joining the Chamber, Whiteman was deputy chief of the Natural Resources and Environment Branch in the White House Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs. There, he provided expert input on the prioritization of agency regulatory and deregulatory actions for White House officials across multiple administrations. He led review of regulatory policy priorities impacting onshore and offshore oil and gas production, vehicle fuel economy, biofuels, power plant and industrial emissions, energy efficiency standards for residential appliances and commercial equipment, refrigerant manufacturing, and other sectors.
At EPA, Whiteman developed and implemented parts of power plant market-based cap-and-trade programs, including the Acid Rain Program, the NOx Budget Trading Program, the Clean Air Interstate Rule, and the Clean Air Mercury Rule. He was also the lead analyst for a multiagency effort to quantify potential air quality impacts of increased nuclear generation under President George W. Bush’s National Energy Policy.
Whiteman has an M.S. in environmental engineering and a B.S. in civil engineering both from West Virginia University.
Resources
Share This
