(Bloomberg) -- Pipeline company Williams Cos. is optimistic that a return of a Trump administration and possible Republican legislative control will pave the way for permitting reform in the energy industry.
Williams’ Chief Executive Officer Alan Armstrong told analysts Thursday he’s “very hopeful with a more Republican control that the permitting issue finally gets dealt with in a durable and meaningful way.”
The energy industry has long awaited permitting reform to address obstacles that hamper developers from actually putting up power lines or laying gas pipe. The process is so slow and convoluted that both the clean-energy and fossil-fuel industry agree change is needed, even if they don’t agree on what that change looks like.
“I don’t want to underestimate the challenge that that’s going to present to get that done,” Armstrong said on a quarterly analysts call regarding reform. “But certainly a lot more positive about that occurring with Republican control.”
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