NUCA Supports SPEED Act Reform Legislation

The National Utility Contractors Association (NUCA) issued the following statement by NUCA Chief Advocacy Officer Affairs Zack Perconti supporting Chairman Rep. Bruce Westerman and Rep. Jared Golden’s “Standardizing Permitting and Expediting Economic Development” (SPEED) Act (H.R. 4776):

“Utility construction projects that should take months to approve often drag on for years due to bureaucratic red tape and ambiguous regulations. Our contractors are hard at work rebuilding America’s decaying water and wastewater systems and modernizing our electric and broadband grids, yet they are routinely delayed by an existing NEPA permit process that has drifted far from its original procedural intent into an endless cycle of delay, duplication, and litigation abuse. Projects that should take months to permit routinely stretch into years driving up costs, killing jobs, and leaving critical infrastructure unbuilt.”

“The National Utility Contractors Association strongly supports the SPEED Act. This long-overdue permitting reform legislation delivers the required clarifications and reforms the utility construction industry has sought for years. By restoring reasonable scope to environmental reviews, codifying recent Supreme Court precedent, establishing enforceable timelines, and placing reasonable guardrails and timelines on the litigation process, this bill will finally allow contractors to begin work when projects are ready, not when the last-ditch lawsuits are exhausted.”

“Every unnecessary delay caused by outdated and burdensome permitting requirement is another day that our members are prevented from delivering the vital utility infrastructure American communities depend on. That adds up to billions of dollars in cost overruns, lost economic opportunities, and worse outcomes for Americans public health and economic prosperity. The SPEED Act will unlock both public and private investment, create hundreds of thousands of high-wage construction jobs, lower project costs, and deliver the modern infrastructure our economy demands, all while preserving environmental safeguards. NUCA pledges to work with Chairman Westerman and Rep. Golden to swiftly advance this vital bipartisan legislation.”