Alan Armstrong of Oklahoma entered the U.S. Senate to fill a vacancy in March with a clear priority: pass permitting reform that he argued was necessary based on his experience leading a major natural gas pipeline company.
Now, as he prepares to leave office, that goal is within reach—with big potential benefits for the company and him personally.
The bipartisan permitting bill slated for a vote next week would overhaul regulations for building all kinds of projects. But it also includes provisions Armstrong promoted that could push through a disputed pipeline that the Williams Companies, his former employer, has tried to build through New York for more than a decade.
When state regulators denied a water quality permit for the Constitution pipeline in 2016, it was a rare rebuke for an industry unaccustomed to having government officials block its projects. Provisions in the new bill would limit New York’s authority to deny it again.
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