Energy Forum: EPA Official Says Reforms to Permitting Process Will Boost Refining Capacity — OPIS

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is taking steps to reform it regulatory and permitting requirements to make it easier for oil refineries to continue their current operations or expand production capacity, the agency's Deputy Administrator David Fotouhi said Wednesday.

In an interview at the Dow Jones Energy Forum in New York City, Fotouhi said the agency has started to clarify the regulatory requirements for energy companies under the Clean Air Act when they begin construction, modification or expansion of a facility such as an oil refinery.

"We need to increase our refining capacity, and part of that is providing regulatory and permitting certainty for reforms under the Clean Air Act," Fotouhi said.

The Clean Air Act of 1970 is the comprehensive federal law that regulates emissions from stationary and mobile sources including petrochemical refineries and power plants.

Fotouhi also said the EPA has increased efficiency and reduced wait times for permitting requirements for energy infrastructure including pipelines, coal export terminals and hydroelectric dams.

This content was created by Oil Price Information Service, which is operated by Dow Jones & Co. OPIS is run independently from Dow Jones Newswires and The Wall Street Journal.

--Reporting by Frank Tang, frank.tang@dowjones.com; Editing by Dean Visser, dean.visser@dowjones.com

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

October 21, 2026 18:56 ET (22:56 GMT)