WASHINGTON — Automakers represented by the Alliance for Automotive Innovation have joined nearly 350 business, labor and trade groups urging Congress to pass a permitting reform bill before summer's end.
In a letter sent Monday to congressional leaders, the diverse coalition — led by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce — called on lawmakers to pass "meaningful and durable" legislation that would modernize the permitting process for a variety of domestic energy projects, including critical mineral mining to support the production of electric vehicle batteries.
The groups, which include state and local chambers as well as the American Clean Power Association, American Gas Association, Business Roundtable and National Mining Association, argue the U.S. permitting process is outdated, with federal permits taking up to seven and a half years on average to be approved depending on the project.
"Our permitting system is fundamentally broken, and it is delaying the inv…