September 9, 2025
On August 26, the American Exploration & Production Council (AXPC) hosted Rep. Stephanie Bice (R-OK) for an energy roundtable in Oklahoma City at Devon Energy, where leading independent oil and natural gas producers and local stakeholders gathered to discuss one of the most pressing issues facing domestic producers: the broken federal permitting system.
The discussion centered on how Congress can build on the momentum created by recently enacted One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) by passing comprehensive, durable permitting reform. As Rep. Bice emphasized throughout the conversation, “energy security is national security,” and delivering reliable, affordable energy requires a permitting system that reflects that reality.
Delivering for Oklahomans – and the Nation
According to a 2024 state report, oil and gas production in the Sooner State generated $60.3 billion in total economic impact, supported more than 255,000 jobs, and contributed a record $3.2 billion in tax revenue, much of it directly funding public education and infrastructure. The Shale Revolution fuels Oklahoma’s economy and positioned America as the world’s top energy producer, but future leadership and economic progress depend on the ability to build energy infrastructure and bring resources to market.
The Urgent Need to Fix the Permitting System
Passed in July, the OBBBA marked a major step forward for US energy producers by delivering durable reforms that are critical to advancing American energy leadership. The law’s provisions better position domestic producers to power the nation with affordable, reliable, homegrown energy for decades to come. Congress should build on this momentum and truly secure America’s energy future by passing comprehensive, durable permitting reform.
Why? The laws underpinning America’s permitting system were simply designed for a different era. They are outdated, vague, and increasingly weaponized through litigation that slow and often kill the very energy projects our families, businesses, and national security depend on. For example, the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) was originally enacted in 1970 to inform environmental reviews of “major federal actions,” which can include energy projects. Its ill-defined statutory framework has led to subjective environmental reviews and over 200 lawsuits against energy projects, helping to make it the most frequently litigated environmental law in the country.
NEPA isn’t alone. The Clean Water Act and Endangered Species Act, while well-intentioned, are also inappropriately leveraged as a tool to block responsible energy development, including on federal lands. Rep. Bice has recognized these challenges and the need to restore permit predictability and commonsense for oil-and-gas development on federal lands as an essential component of permitting reform.
Rep. Bice’s Leadership on Fee-Fee-Fed Reform
In February, Rep. Bice introduced H.R. 1555, the BLM Mineral Spacing Act, which would amend the Mineral Leasing Act to streamline and improve the permitting process for energy development on federal lands. The bill takes direct aim at an duplicative, federally-created bottleneck: federal-permitting requirements on state and private lands when the Federal Government has a limited interest.
Currently, energy projects where the federal government owns less than half the subsurface rights, and no surface rights, are still subject to full federal permitting. H.R. 1555 fixes that, allowing projects to move forward under applicable state and private requirements, including state-level environmental reviews, while preserving federal royalty revenue and oversight.
According to Rep. Bice, the legislation “will streamline the permitting process, eliminate unnecessary regulations, and empower private mineral owners.” Senator John Hoeven (R-ND) has introduced S. 722 as a companion bill. Together, these efforts reinforce the generational reforms already achieved under OBBBA and reflect AXPC’s priorities for long-term US energy leadership.
A Defining Moment for Reform
The Oklahoma roundtable highlighted a critical truth: America’s energy future hinges on its ability to build and develop. With bipartisan momentum growing, Congress has a unique opportunity to deliver meaningful legislation that bolsters America’s energy landscape. Leaders like Rep. Bice are charting a path forward, ensuring that common-sense reforms – from fee-fee-fed permitting to infrastructure modernization – strengthen America’s energy security, economic resilience, and global competitiveness.
