In the first executive order of his second gubernatorial term, Gov. Spencer Cox took decisive action to streamline Utah’s permitting system and expand permitting review processes for infrastructure projects. By reducing regulatory burdens, the governor’s order aims to help advance critical housing and energy development projects as well as an array of economic development opportunities that will strengthen communities throughout Salt Lake County and across the Beehive State.
Forty-five years later, Ronald Reagan’s message to reduce the size of the federal government remains a cornerstone of modern conservative political ideology — more specifically, the belief that the government closest to the people governs best, including state, county and municipal governments. This ideology is put into practice through the policy of addressing regulations that burden businesses and communities and prevent citizens from making economic decisions for themselves.
Keeping this belief in mind, permitting reform at the state level is not enough, but should also be matched by similar permitting reform efforts at the federal level to help Utah address a range of concerns, including housing availability and energy independence. Passage of federal permitting reform and deregulation would help us address both issues, which is why Utahns should be thankful to have Sen. John Curtis now representing our interests in the Senate, given his long-standing support for such reforms during his time in the House of Representatives.
Utah’s housing crisis is reaching a tipping point in Salt Lake County and throughout much of the state. A shortage of homes is one of the reasons Cox has promised to focus on building an additional 35,000 starter homes during his second term — a goal that, while being more achievable thanks to his recent executive order, would be even easier to accomplish if the state legislature and Congress were to also pass permitting reform.
Permitting reform can help Utah more effectively address its housing needs by eliminating bureaucratic red tape in the housing approval process that can currently add months, if not years, onto project timelines. Reducing these delays will not only help new housing projects get approved more quickly but will also reduce project costs. This will prevent those costs from being passed on to the end consumer and allow municipal governments to take the lead with builders to plan smart local growth. Moreover, streamlining the permitting process will help the housing market meet the growing demand for starter homes in Salt Lake County and statewide.
Aside from housing, permitting reform will also help Utah businesses and developers by allowing critical infrastructure and energy efforts to move forward in a timely, more efficient manner. Faster project launches and timelines will yield increased investment in Utah’s economy. On top of that, having a more efficient permitting process in place can help attract more companies to relocate or establish operations in Utah, which would help create much-needed jobs, foster innovation and support a stronger, more robust business sector.
One of Cox’s stated goals for his second term is to double our state’s energy production, which would go a long way in securing our energy independence and ensuring Utah remains a national leader in energy production. Once again, streamlining the federal permitting process simultaneously can help us reach this goal by accelerating the development of Utah’s energy resources, including oil and natural gas, renewable resources, and innovative clean energy projects.
In doing so, federal permitting reform and deregulation would help Utah and our entire country reduce our reliance on foreign energy sources, which is not only good for our energy independence but also vital to our national and economic security. The more energy we can produce and use domestically, the less vulnerable we are to global fluctuations in the energy market as well as geopolitical tensions with less-than-friendly countries like China and Russia.
While I’m thankful Cox is working to streamline a burdensome permitting process for infrastructure projects in Utah, his executive order only underscores the importance of state legislative actions. Matching actions are needed at the federal level to fully unleash the economic opportunities that come with increased housing, energy and other core infrastructure investments. To that end, Curtis should continue fighting for responsible, bipartisan permitting reform that will help us build a stronger, more sustainable and more economically vibrant future for Utah.