This week, the House of Representatives approved a bipartisan bill aimed at improving the construction of critical infrastructure across national borders. The bill, H.R. 3301, rejects the current requirements for a Presidential permit to authorize construction of cross-border pipelines, as well as easing overly harsh environmental impact assessments.
Why is this important? The North American Energy Infrastructure Act will allow pipeline sponsors to obtain a certificate of crossing from the Secretary of State or the Secretary of Energy after approval by regulatory agencies. This process will expedite the development of pipelines across national boundaries, including the proposed Keystone XL pipeline, which will ship crude oil from Canada to the Gulf Coast.
Executive order 13337, instated by President George W. Bush, requires presidential permits for infrastructure projects in order to expedite previously delayed projects. The current exploitation of this order highlights the necessity of the North American Energy Infrastructure Act to secure energy independence and grow the economy without political games and pundit rhetoric.
Read the full article at Fuel Fix.