Slashing energy development red tape, beating China in 'AI arms race' top priorities for nations' governors

"It shouldn't take longer to approve an [energy] project than it takes to build it," said National Governors Association Vice Chair Kevin Stitt at Friday's conference in Washington. That, the Oklahoma Republican said, is the collective picture painted of all the problems with government bureaucracy at all levels that imperils the U.S.' ability to stay ahead of China in terms of cyberthreat-prevention and energy dominance. Permitting reform is one of the most important things to address with a new administration and new state government sessions beginning, the governors collectively expressed. There was bipartisan consensus at the NGA that America must move responsibly toward a future secure from malign foreign actors in both cybersecurity and energy development. "Permitting reform is one of those issues where both Republicans and Democrats recognize the problem, we largely agree on solutions," Stitt said, adding it is a national security issue that the U.S. must streamline permitting.