WASHINGTON—The U.S. House of Representatives on Dec. 18 passed the Standardizing Permitting and Expediting Economic Development (SPEED) Act, a sweeping permitting reform bill aimed at simplifying federal environmental reviews and accelerating approvals for major energy, infrastructure, manufacturing and data center projects. The legislation cleared the chamber 221-196, Reuters reports, and now moves to the Senate, where it faces an uncertain path forward.

The SPEED Act is sponsored by House Natural Resources Committee Chairman Bruce Westerman (R-Ark.) and cosponsored by Representative Jared Golden (D-Maine) and represents one of the most significant attempts in decades to amend the National Environmental Policy Act.

“By modernizing NEPA and reducing duplicative reviews and litigation, this bill restores certainty and helps unlock the infrastructure needed to deliver affordable, reliable energy and meet growing demand,” says Mike Sommers, the American Petroleum Institute’s president and CEO.

Reuters says the legislation would streamline environmental reviews and shorten approval timelines, changes supporters say are needed to reduce delays and litigation risks that have slowed the development of energy and infrastructure projects.

Under the Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2023, agencies already must complete Environmental Impact Statements within two years and Environmental Assessments within one year, notes the Bipartisan Policy Center in a brief on the SPEED Act. However, the FRA allows agencies to extend these deadlines in cooperation with applicants. If the SPEED Act passes, they will only be able to do so if the applicant agrees.

“The SPEED Act also adds new deadlines to standardize the review process. Within 60 days of receiving an application for an authorization, an agency must notify the applicant whether the application is complete or incomplete. If the application is complete, the agency has 60 days to determine whether the proposed action qualifies for a categorical exclusion . . . or requires an EA or EIS,” the Bipartisan Policy Center describes. “If the application is incomplete, the 60-day determination period begins only once the applicant submits the requested information.”

The center adds that agencies must issue final actions within 30 days of completing an EA or EIS.

Other Changes

According to the Bipartisan Policy Center, many of the provisions in the act codify guidelines that the Supreme Court issued in Seven County Infrastructure Coalition v. Eagle County. For example, it “limits agencies to only evaluate environmental impacts that ‘share a reasonably close causal relationship’ to the project under consideration.”

Regarding judicial review, the bill instructs judges to afford “substantial deference” to agency decisions and limits the remedies available to the court when it determines that an agency violated NEPA. Today, the Center notes, judges can remand the decision back to the agency, temporarily halt the project or vacate the permit. If the SPEED Act passes, it will only be able to remand the decision to the agency, and it must explain the issues that need to be addressed.

The SPEED Act also mandates that any lawsuits challenging NEPA reviews for energy infrastructure be filed within 150 days except when other laws specify a shorter timeline, the Center writes.

In addition, the bill limits when federal agencies can reverse prior environmental reviews or federal authorizations (such as ones produced by a previous administration). However, it includes provisions designed to protect the offshore wind project cancelations that the Trump administration issued this year.

Industry Response

Industry groups representing oil and gas producers and energy service companies applauded the House vote, framing the bill as a necessary response to mounting energy demand and infrastructure constraints.

The Independent Petroleum Association of America says the SPEED Act would help address regulatory delays that have slowed oil and natural gas projects critical to U.S. energy security, while providing greater certainty for producers operating under increasingly complex federal review processes.

“Reforming permitting remains one of IPAA’s highest priorities for the 119th Congress,” IPAA assures. “The SPEED Act moving forward, combined with other recently passed permitting legislation in the House, builds momentum for 2026.”

The Texas Independent Producers and Royalty Owners Association likewise praised the legislation, calling permitting reform a strategic priority for the domestic energy sector. TIPRO President Ed Longanecker says prolonged permitting timelines raise costs, discourage investment and delay projects that support jobs, state revenues and reliable energy supply, particularly in energy-producing states such as Texas.

“For the oil and natural gas industry, comprehensive permitting reform is mission critical,” Longanecker says. “It unlocks investment, accelerates innovation, strengthens national security, and ensures that the United States remains a reliable energy partner to the world. At a time when energy reliability and affordability are top concerns for working Americans, we strongly encourage expedited consideration in the U.S. Senate to help reshape the federal permitting process for energy infrastructure.”

Senate Prospects

Analysts at ClearView Energy Partners assess that the SPEED Act faces tough odds in the Senate, where Republicans would need Democratic support to overcome procedural barriers. In a recent policy note, ClearView says Democratic backing for permitting reform remains limited, and negotiations are likely to focus on whether a bipartisan framework can be reached that balances infrastructure development with clean energy priorities and environmental oversight.

“We still see an uphill climb for passage in the upper chamber—Democrats’ support for permitting reform remains elusive in a narrowing window of opportunity. Key Senate negotiators appear to be working on an agreement for a bipartisan permitting reform framework targeted for year-end.”