Some key provisions of EPAct 2005 included:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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- Mandatory reliability standards and measures to modernize the transmission infrastructure to improve the grid;\u00a0\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Creation of the Loan Guarantee Program (the precursor to today\u2019s DOE Loan Programs Office (LPO)) to help support investments in innovative technologies, particularly nuclear power;<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Expedited siting and permitting of Liquified Natural Gas terminals for more access to markets;\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Streamlined hydraulic fracturing regulations to increase domestic oil and gas; and<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Tax and R&D support for various resources, such as geothermal, clean coal technologies, advanced nuclear energy, fusion and hydrogen to diversify supplies.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
Today, the saga of challenging energy issues continues. Our grid must be ready to meet increased demand driven from data center growth, industrial reshoring and widespread electrification while also dealing with aging infrastructure, the complexity of integrating variable resources and an evolving regulatory landscape. Permitting hurdles remain a major barrier to building critical energy infrastructure. Innovative technologies still need strong public-private partnerships to bridge the commercialization gap and scale to competitive solutions. These challenges set the stage for the next opportunity for energy leadership.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Forecast of Data Center Demand Growth by 2030<\/span><\/p>\n
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<\/p>Adapted from DOE’s Resource Adequacy Report (2025)<\/a>, underlying data from EPRI<\/a>, McKinsey & Company<\/a>, LBNL<\/a>, S&P<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n
Congress has shown in EPAct 2005 as well as the Energy Act of 2020 that it can deliver broad, bipartisan energy policy. It is time for an updated big, bold, bipartisan energy bill. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The following are examples of policies that can address today\u2019s energy challenges:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Streamline Permitting:<\/strong> Outdated permitting processes are jeopardizing critical infrastructure development. Bills like the SPEED Act<\/a>, introduced by House Natural Resources Chairman Bruce Westerman (R-AR) and Rep. Jared Golden (D-ME), can help modernize NEPA to reduce duplication, increase transparency and reform judicial and litigation practices. The administration and legislation proposals like the FREE Act<\/a> introduced by Sen. Lummis (R-WY) and Rep. Maloy (R-UT) have also highlighted the potential for using a regulatory tool called permit-by-rule to expedite permitting, which is a process that allows certain activities to proceed without undergoing a full individualized permit review, as long as they meet predefined criteria.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Improve the Grid:<\/strong>\u00a0 American energy security, AI leadership and manufacturing competitiveness require a robust transmission system. Transmission siting and permitting improvements could streamline grid expansion while balancing and fully respecting states\u2019 roles in the process. Innovative grid technologies and transformer manufacturing deployed at scale would also help optimize the grid. Safeguarding the grid, such as through the work of DOE\u2019s Office of Cybersecurity, Energy Security and Emergency Response (CESER), is also critical.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Strengthen Pipelines: <\/strong>A modern pipeline system is essential to deliver reliable, affordable energy to homes and industry, including AI data centers. Policy ideas like the Next Generation Pipelines Research and Development Act<\/a>, which passed the House on a bipartisan basis in the 118th Congress and was reintroduced<\/a> in April 2025 by Reps. Randy Weber (R-TX) and Deborah Ross (D-NC) would support the build-out of all types of pipelines, such as natural gas, LNG, petroleum, carbon dioxide, hydrogen and more. There are also opportunities to update some safety regulations for pipeline infrastructure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/p>\n\n\n\nExpand Critical Minerals: <\/strong>Critical minerals are essential to America\u2019s energy security, industrial base and national defense. President Trump\u2019s March 2025 Executive Order<\/a> prioritized U.S. mineral production and directed DOD and DOI to accelerate support for mining and processing. There have also been several legislative efforts in the 118th and 119th Congress that seek to accelerate permitting for mining projects, boost R&D and strengthen strategic mineral partnerships and finance domestic mineral supply chains. Some examples include: the Critical Mineral Consistency Act<\/a>, the Mining Regulatory Clarity Act<\/a>, the Unearth Innovation Act<\/a> and the STRATEGIC Minerals Act.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/p>\n\n\n\nExpand Nuclear: <\/strong>Building more clean, firm nuclear power is essential for national and economic security. Bills like the Accelerating Reliable Capacity (ARC) Act introduced in the 118th Congress by Senator Risch (R-ID), or a similar policy, can spur nuclear deployment by addressing cost uncertainty and reducing investment risk. Also, continued funding for the DOE\u2019s Advanced Reactor Demonstration Program (ARDP)<\/a>, first authorized in the Energy Act of 2020, has supported ongoing nuclear energy projects and their fuel supply chain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Promote Geothermal<\/strong>: Next-generation geothermal technologies have the potential to expand beyond the Western U.S. to provide emissions-free, reliable baseload power all across the country<\/a> and leverage up to 200,000 <\/a>existing American jobs in the oil & gas sector. The Trump DOE has prioritized funding for project demonstrations. Innovators have already shown great success, like reducing drilling times<\/a> by more than 70 percent. Bills like the GEO Act<\/a>, introduced in the 118th Congress by Sens. Lee (R-UT) and Heinrich (D-NM), can streamline federal permitting requirements and apply best practices to unlock additional deployments of these next-generation projects. The energy unlock that EPAct 2005\u2019s categorical exclusion provided for certain oil and gas activities on federal lands could be replicated for geothermal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Reshore<\/strong> Manufacturing: <\/strong>Meeting infrastructure needs requires producing and deploying core building materials at scale and speed. Bills like the Concrete and Asphalt Innovation Act (CAIA<\/a>), introduced in March 2025 on a bipartisan basis by Sens. Coons (D-DE) and Tillis (R-NC), are designed to bring innovative cement and asphalt technologies to market faster, increase domestic production and meet the demand for 1 million tons of cement by 2028<\/a>, triggered by AI data center development.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Accelerate Carbon Technologies: <\/strong>Industrial innovation includes carbon management innovation. Bipartisan bills like the Carbon Removal and Emissions Storage Technologies Act (CREST)<\/a>, introduced in the 117th and 118th Congresses, would authorize DOE\u2019s carbon removal innovation efforts and help keep American companies ahead of global competitors. By driving private investment and reducing costs to meet growing demand, CREST can help build a trillion-dollar<\/a> American industry capable of delivering gigaton-scale removals by 2050.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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