FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
July 31, 2026
CONTACT:
Chrissy Harbin, Miranda Dabney
WASHINGTON, D.C. — In a wide-ranging interview on Columbia University’s Columbia Energy Exchange podcast, Senator Alan Armstrong (R-OK) shared his insights on the broken state of the nation’s permitting system and the urgent need to modernize federal regulatory frameworks. Senator Armstrong sat down with host Jason Bordoff on Capitol Hill to discuss his frustrations of partisan gridlock and his proposed legislative solutions to “get America building again.”
Senator Armstrong discussed his transition from corporate leadership to the U.S. Senate, and how his 40-year tenure in the energy industry informed his recently introduced legislation, the American Energy and Mineral Infrastructure Act. He encouraged his colleagues to set aside the pursuit of partisan wins in favor of long-term problem solving that advances the global leadership of the United States.
A Rare Moment of Bipartisan Consensus
Senator Armstrong emphasized that while the Senate is often paralyzed by partisan politics, a broad consensus has emerged regarding the failure of the current permitting system. “There’s not very many people on either side of the aisle that will tell you they don’t thinkpermitting reform is extremely important,” Armstrong stated. He noted that while political maneuvering often stalls progress, there is very little actual argument about “what needs to be reformed”.
His proposed legislative framework seeks to bridge the divide by being energy source neutral, supporting everything from renewables and transmission lines to traditional oil and gas infrastructure. He revealed that his team has worked to incorporate “great work that’s been done in the house” and is aiming to align with Democratic priorities on electric transmission to create a truly bipartisan path forward.
The Looming Threat to U.S. Global Leadership
The Senator issued a stark warning regarding the global competition for computing power, particularly in the fields of Artificial Intelligence and data centers. He argued that the inability to build energy infrastructure quickly enough to power these facilities is a major strategic weakness. “If our permitting processes don’t help enable projects versus disable projects… that should scare us as Americans when we’re in a race right now to be able to have the best computing power in the world,” Armstrong said.
He characterized this struggle not merely as a business hurdle but as a “vulnerability for our country in this war that we’re in” for global leadership. Armstrong pointed to the example of Germany’s energy crisis as a cautionary tale, calling the idea of only building “just enough infrastructure” a “foolish” national strategy compared to the security of having surplus capacity.
Principles for Reform
In the interview, Senator Armstrong presented a set of clear policy principles designed to streamline infrastructure development for all energy sources, including:
- Energy Source Neutrality: The process should not “side with winners and losers” based on fuel type.
- A Single Lead Agency: Establishing a lead federal agency, such as FERC, to oversee a concurrent review process.
- No Single-State Veto: Preventing individual states from blocking federally licensed projects through post-hoc reviews.
- Sanctity of Permits: Ensuring that lawfully issued final permits are “durable and respected” to provide certainty for investors.
The Columbia Energy Exchange is a weekly program from the Center on Global Energy Policy at Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs, covering energy policy, financial markets, geopolitics, climate policy, and the implications of energy developments for the United States and the global economy. Host Jason Bordoff is the founding director of Columbia University’s Center on Global Energy Policy and a professor at Columbia’s School of International and Public Affairs.
More information on Senator Armstrong’s American Energy and Mineral Infrastructure Act can be found here.