The U.S. House of Representatives’ passage of the Standardizing Permitting and Expediting Economic Development (SPEED) Act marks a major milestone for communities, facilitating greater accessibility to reliable, affordable energy. The Act aims to fix longstanding permitting challenges that slow down critical infrastructure development to help utilities, like Chesapeake Utilities, lower costs as they rebuild aging infrastructure and deliver energy to meet growing demand.

What is the SPEED Act?

The SPEED Act is federal legislation that reforms the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) to make environmental reviews more efficient, consistent and predictable. It clarifies ambiguous provisions, limits what qualifies as a “major federal action,” allows certain state and tribal environmental reviews to substitute for federal review and directs agencies to focus only on impacts directly caused by a project. In short, it removes unnecessary regulatory delays so important infrastructure projects can move forward responsibly and on schedule.

Rebuilding the Infrastructure We Rely On

Chesapeake Utilities has long emphasized the need for immediate and sustained investment in energy infrastructure to meet growing regional demand. In a recent letter to House leadership, we noted that inconsistent and overly complex permitting requirements often slow projects that are essential to reliability and community growth. The SPEED Act addresses these challenges by streamlining review processes, cutting through the patchwork of rules that slow progress and allowing companies like ours to move more efficiently on upgrades and expansions.

Lowering Costs for Rate Payers

Faster, more predictable permitting means lower project costs — and that translates into savings for the customers we serve. By reducing delays, eliminating duplicated reviews and providing regulatory certainty, the SPEED Act enables more efficient investment in cleaner, safer and more reliable energy systems. As outlined in our communication to Congress, the Act will allow us to lower costs for customers and invest in cleaner, safer, more reliable energy projects.

A Win for Affordability, Reliability and Community Growth

With the House passage of the SPEED Act, communities stand to benefit from:

• Stronger, more resilient energy infrastructure
• Lower long-term costs for customers
• More efficient development of energy projects
• Greater reliability across the systems we all depend on

As we look ahead, Chesapeake Utilities remains committed to delivering affordable, dependable and sustainable energy. Legislation like the SPEED Act, and other key policies streamlining permitting and regulatory processes, help us fulfill that mission by removing barriers and paving the way for the smart, forward-looking infrastructure our customers and communities deserve.