FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
August 13, 2026
CONTACT:
Chrissy Harbin, Miranda Dabney
Armstrong Joins EPSA’s Energy Solutions Podcast to Discuss Permitting Reform Agenda
“IT’S NEVER BEEN SO EASY TO BLOCK PROJECTS VERSUS BUILD PROJECTS”: ARMSTRONG CALLS FOR STREAMLINED FEDERAL REVIEWS AND REGULATORY CERTAINTY TO MEET RISING ENERGY DEMAND
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Senator Alan Armstrong (R-OK) joined the Energy Solutions podcast, hosted by Todd Snitchler, President and CEO of the Electric Power Supply Association (EPSA), for an in-depth conversation on energy infrastructure, the lessons of the shale gas revolution, and the critical need for bipartisan permitting reform.
Listen to the full podcast here.
During the interview, Sen. Armstrong drew on his nearly four decades of energy industry experience to discuss how regulatory delays and fragmented agency reviews hinder critical infrastructure projects. Key highlights from his comments:
- On the urgency for Senate action: “The House has done their part, the judicial branch has done their part, we in the Senate have done squat as it relates to improving permitting.”
- On the cultural shift needed to build: “It’s one thing to change law; it’s another thing to change the culture of a country and its attitude towards building things.”
- On the current “blocking” culture: “It’s never been so easy to be relevant as it is blocking data centers… it’s moved from being a fringe issue to being almost mainstream.”
- A call to action for the energy sector: “If the industry isn’t speaking in one voice, you’re just promoting that divisive nature… it is really time to put the hammer down from an industry voice perspective.”
- On the core purpose of permitting: “The siting process should have nothing to do with [deciding what energy source we use]… The siting process should look at the direct impact of installing the facilities and that’s it.”