American Energy + AI Coalition Commends House Passage of the SPEED Act

WASHINGTON, Dec. 18, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- The American Energy + AI (AE+AI) Coalition commends the passage of H.R. 4776, the Standardizing Permitting and Expediting Economic Development (SPEED) Act, by the U.S. House of Representatives. The SPEED Act is sponsored by House Resources Committee Chairman Bruce Westerman (R-AR).

This legislation would make the NEPA process simpler, more efficient, and more certain—key permitting reform principles espoused by the AE+AI Coalition. 

"The SPEED Act represents a significant improvement over the status quo in NEPA reviews," said Michael Catanzaro, Executive Director of the AE+AI Coalition. "We strongly support the Trump administration's systemic reforms to the NEPA process, which are already yielding dividends. But we need legislation to enshrine improvements to NEPA for the long-term.

"And as AI and data centers drive unprecedented electricity demand," he continued, "we need a permitting system that can enable speed to power and innovation. We urge the Senate to act swiftly to advance meaningful, comprehensive permitting reform legislation that reduces bureaucracy, simplifies decision-making, and ends frivolous, activist-driven litigation." 

"AI-scale growth is testing how quickly America can plan, permit, and build." said Ann Bluntzer Pullin, PhD, Executive Director of the Hamm Institute for American Energy. "Streamlining federal reviews without sacrificing environmental protections creates the predictable, efficient pathways needed to bring reliable energy online at the pace innovation demands."

About the AEAI Coalition

The American Energy + AI (AE+AI) Coalition brings together leading stakeholders across the electricity and digital technology sectors to confront one of the defining policy challenges of our time: ensuring the U.S. can rapidly expand and modernize its electric grid to meet surging demand from artificial intelligence, data centers, advanced manufacturing, and a more electrified economy while protecting consumers.

About the American Energy + AI Initiative

The American Energy + AI Initiative, led by the Hamm Institute for American Energy, is a non-lobbying effort to strengthen U.S. energy security and competitiveness. It advances research and convenes leaders across energy, technology, utilities, and government to identify practical pathways for reliable, affordable power in the AI era.

SOURCE CGCN Group