Executive Chairman of the Board, Williams Companies Inc
Build more Pipes and Wires (ft. Sen. Alan Armstrong, Rep. Scott Peters, & Chris Barnard)
Plenary Session #11 at the Energy Imperative Summit 2026, entitled "Build more Pipes and Wires" featuring remarks from Senator Alan Armstrong (R-OK), Congressman Scott Peters (D-CA), moderated by Chris Barnard, President of the American Conservation Coalition.
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The Energy Imperatives Summit is a two-day forum for the leaders, innovators, and thinkers restoring American energy dominance.
June 9–10, 2026
The Capital Hilton
1001 16th St NW, Washington, DC
The 2026 Summit welcomed more than 450 attendees for two days of policy-dense programming, including work...
About Alan Armstrong
Senator Alan Armstrong (R-OK) has made permitting reform for energy and mineral infrastructure the central focus of his tenure since being appointed to the Senate in March 2026. He introduced the American Energy and Mineral Infrastructure Act alongside Senators Rick Scott, Cynthia Lummis, Katie Britt, and James Lankford. In his inaugural Senate floor speech on July 16, 2026, Armstrong argued that the U.S. has abundant energy resources but lacks the infrastructure to deliver them, and he attributed this to a permitting process that he said creates litigation risk and uncertainty for investors. He cited his experience as CEO of Williams Companies, describing a project where a federal court vacated a pipeline certificate after the project was already operating, and another instance where a 120-mile pipeline was blocked by a state using Section 401 of the Clean Water Act. Armstrong has stated that the problem is not a lack of environmental protections but rather the process and litigation risk, and he has said his bill does not aim to diminish environmental standards. He has described the current system as "strangling" the country and called for Congress to show "political courage" to fix it. Armstrong has said he has no political ambition beyond his current seat and that his short, non-reelection term gives him freedom to focus on this issue. He has also expressed surprise at what he described as a focus by Democratic Party leadership on preventing productive outcomes, and he has said he considers himself "very moderate" and believes in putting country ahead of party.
Transcript (31 segments)
H
Host0:05
Thank you very much, Congressman Harter and Thomas for that conversation. We're excited for a number of sessions on permitting, including this next one on building pipes and wires. We're joined by Chris Barnard, president of ACC, Senator Alan Armstrong, and Representative Scott Peters. Also later we have Senator Joe Manchin and AI hyperscalers. Please welcome the panelists.
C
Chris Barnard2:07
Awesome. Thank you, Isaiah. I'd like to start by acknowledging your staff. You have some of the best staff on the hill. I'm not saying that because they gave me permission to push a little today. We've talked about permit reform for years, going in circles, but it feels like we're entering a moment where we can get something done. So I'm excited to push a little and raise the ambition.
M
Moderator2:48
Well, it probably came from you, so I appreciate that. Let's start with a softball. How do you both respectively feel about the state of permit negotiations right now?
A
Alan Armstrong2:58
Well, I think a lot of great work has been done by the House, and it's starting to pile up. At the Senate level, a lot is piled up that we need to tend to. The House has done a nice job dealing with pertinent issues. In the Senate, there's a strong desire among moderate Democrats to get something done, but it's a question of momentum to bring around leadership that may not be interested. I'm focused on making sure what we get done is meaningful and moves the bar. For instance, overreliance on shot clocks doesn't work when an agency won't give a notice of complete application. We need pragmatic solutions.
S
Scott Peters4:59
I think we're in a really good place. We haven't gone in circles; we've made progress. Among Democrats, third-rail stuff from five years ago is now part of our thinking. Reform comes from two things: money put in the bank with the Biden administration that didn't get into the ground, like 43 billion for telecom with no projects done, and 2,600 gigawatts of energy in the interconnection queue, 95% clean. We are in our own way due to laws from the 1970s. We need to build offshore wind, solar, hydrogen pipelines, and transmission for an energy transition. There's a substantial number of Democrats open to a good bipartisan package. It's great to have Alan Armstrong in the Senate; his expertise is valuable. We have a good product on NEPA from the SPEED Act and work on transmission from Manchin-Barrasso. We're set up for a big win this year.
M
Moderator7:23
I love to hear it. We'll talk about certainty and transmission, but you mentioned NEPA. It's a procedural statute, but many Democrats fear gutting a bedrock environmental law. How do you respond to that criticism?
S
Scott Peters8:06
There's a lot of hyperbole. I started on this with the Save Our Sequoias Act, which aimed to restore conditions from natural fire. We lost 20% of sequoias due to unnatural conditions. The response from the DC environmental community was 'you can't change NEPA, it's bedrock.' But it's a procedural statute, not substantive. The real bedrock laws are the Clean Water Act and Clean Air Act. NEPA needs modernization. Many Democrats are coming around to that view.
M
Moderator10:20
Right. And most projects delayed are zero-emitting. Senator Armstrong, you've worked in oil and gas. How do you address trade-offs between pipes and wires within your conference?
A
Alan Armstrong11:11
I think it's overcomplicated. Permitting reform should focus on making it easier to site linear infrastructure, regardless of energy source, while minimizing environmental damage. It shouldn't be about greenhouse gas emissions. If we focus on not standing in our way of building infrastructure in an environmentally friendly way, it wouldn't be that difficult. We're getting closer to that perspective. On NEPA, I find it fascinating that we waive NEPA in the housing bill instead of fixing it. That's no way to run environmental policy.
M
Moderator13:28
Let's take climate out of this. There's gridlock on pipes vs. wires. How do you think about those trade-offs?
A
Alan Armstrong14:14
Just to be clear, I want to win for any and all linear infrastructure. I'm not the only voice. People paying attention realize how critical it is to allow access to our energy, whether due to high utility bills or lack of ability to meet AI and manufacturing demand. I don't think I'm solo on that.
M
Moderator14:58
So what kinds of transmission reforms would satisfy Democrats and enough Republicans?
A
Alan Armstrong15:27
We have to figure out how to make the grid more reliable, secure, and triple its capacity. There's little dispute on that. The Manchin-Barrasso EPRA bill did a lot of that work, supported 15-4 in committee. It's about people sitting around solving the problem. The coming increase in energy demand will push us toward answers. Democrats are open to pipeline reforms too; it doesn't make sense for New England to burn fuel oil or import LNG when there's no pipeline.
M
Moderator16:59
This is music to my ears. I love the energy addition concept. How do you think the administration's pulling permits for wind and solar has impacted negotiations? How do we get back to tech neutrality?
A
Alan Armstrong17:41
Historically, permit certainty was about pipelines being stopped by the 401 water quality certificate, a blue-state weapon. At Williams, we had a billion-dollar pipeline from Pennsylvania to New Jersey that was desperately needed and running at 90% load factor within nine months, but a court vacated the certificate. Now certainty issues affect wind and solar too. That's bad for the country, raising the cost of capital. The 401 issue will become a red-state weapon for transmission if not fixed. I'd bet on that.
S
Scott Peters20:20
There was concern about the Biden administration tapping the brakes on oil and gas, but nothing like pulling a permit under construction. What happened with Revolution Wind was shocking, and spending a billion to buy back a lease. An energy investor told me investing in American energy is now akin to investing in Vietnam or Brazil. That raises costs and lowers likelihood of projects. We did a bill on certainty with shot clocks and timelines, supported by clean energy, oil, and gas industries. Certainty must be built in. The next two years will be tough for Democrats to trust a Trump administration, so maybe specific project approvals could be part of a compromise.
M
Moderator22:46
Absolutely. Congressman Gabe Evans said the same thing. Senator Armstrong, are you having conversations with the White House about approving projects in return for a package?
A
Alan Armstrong23:09
I won't speak for the White House, but cabinet members like Secretary Wright and Secretary Bergam understand how important permitting reform is for the country. There's a clear understanding of the need for long-term durable reform.
M
Moderator23:44
You're my favorite kind of politician—came with one thing to do and you're out. Sorry, Congressman Peters. We're solving all problems. Senator Armstrong, you put a shot clock on yourself. How do you see the political dynamics? The stars are aligning with AI demand and re-industrialization. Is the time now?
A
Alan Armstrong24:38
The time is now. It has to happen this year. History and polls suggest different chairpersons in the House next year. Bruce Westerman worked hard on the SPEED Act, but the Freedom Caucus messed with it. He'd be replaced by Jared Huffman, who is not interested. Brett Guthrie wants to get something done. Senator Capito hopes for a product before summer break. That's the right timeline.
M
Moderator25:54
Nothing to add?
S
Scott Peters25:55
No.
M
Moderator25:55
Okay. It feels like we have a lot to lose. The administration is all in on AI. Are your colleagues recognizing that IRA emissions reductions won't happen without permitting reform?
S
Scott Peters26:48
I think so. The election showed affordability is a bigger concern than climate. The market wants to deliver results. The interconnection queue is backed up with renewables. China and Texas built huge amounts of solar and wind. Texas has a free market. If environmentalists get out of the way, the market will bring the results. More people are recognizing this. It's a huge opportunity.
M
Moderator28:04
And we should take it.
You mentioned the dynamic between DC insiders and real-world voters. Do you feel the pendulum is shifting toward affordable, reliable energy?
S
Scott Peters28:35
Nobody cares about permit reform as an issue, but they care about making government work. They're frustrated that things take too long. Good policy and getting things passed is also good politics. I outperform because I get stuff done.
A
Alan Armstrong29:20
This is not a sexy political issue, but people's energy prices are hot. Utility bills in New England are high because they're cut off from low-cost supplies and burning fuel oil. The left blamed climate change or subsidy cuts, but the real problem is we're allowing people to stand in the way of infrastructure. The Western Gateway pipeline would bring low-cost gasoline to Arizona and displace California gas. You can't complain about high gasoline prices and refuse to invest in infrastructure.
M
Moderator31:29
Everybody should help Alan get this to the Senate floor, please.
I love it. Senator Armstrong, you know what you're talking about. Congressman Peters, you've been a champion. We wish you the best. Thank you for your time.
A
Alan Armstrong31:45
Thank you very much. Thanks.