America’s West isn’t just beautiful, it’s extremely powerful.
From Colorado’s innovative drill pads to Wyoming’s world-class coal mines to Utah’s high-tech natural gas rigs, the West hosts some of the most abundant and reliable energy resources on earth.
Our “Road to Prosperity” tour witnessed this energy potential firsthand.
But we also saw something else: Washington’s outdated and unpredictable permitting system, which is holding Western communities and American energy back.
The good news? With the right reforms, the West can lead a new era of American energy abundance — and the American Dream that comes with it.
At the tour’s ninth stop, AFP Coalitions Director Mary Beth Cirucci visited a cutting-edge oil well pad run by Civitas Productions. It’s in a Colorado community that wasn’t exactly friendly to oil and gas.
Instead of packing up, Civitas listened. They addressed every concern, including air quality, noise, emission levels, and traffic issues.
The result?
Eighteen wells, 30 years of energy, and land restoration when the job’s finished.
At another stop, the team visited sites run by Liberty Energy. There, they observed how private-sector innovation is driving America’s factories, data centers, and the increasing energy demands of AI.
What’s even better is that through their Bettering Human Lives foundation, Liberty is helping families around the world transition from open-fire cooking to clean, modern energy sources.
Mary Beth was joined by Sen. John Barrasso at the Road to Prosperity’s 10th stop, Gillette’s Belle Ayr Mine in Wyoming.
This mine, operated by Eagle Summit Resources, is the largest coal mine in the United States.
The low-sulfur, clean coal mined in the Powder River Basin provides 40% of America’s coal, and Eagle Summit’s mines in the region support more than 500 local jobs.
The capabilities are clearly there, but that’s not the whole story.
As Sen. Barrasso summed it up:
“We need to make American energy not just independent, but dominant. And we have it all right here in Wyoming.”
See Mary Beth and Sen. Barrasso below:
At Stop 11, the team visited the Uinta Basin with KODA Resources, Utah’s largest natural gas producer and a crucial part of the Western power grid.
They toured multiple drilling sites with KODA President and CEO Osman Apaydin, who walked them through every part of the drilling process. They saw new technology guiding precision drilling in real-time and learned just how much money rigs cost to run:
KODA also demonstrated to the team how entrepreneurs can innovate to reduce their environmental footprint.
A site that once required 32 well pads and 64 storage tanks now operates with one pad and one tank, thanks to the advancements in vertical and horizontal drilling.
Everywhere the team visited out West, they heard the same message: Washington makes it too hard and costly to build.
Energy companies explained that permits can take eight to 12 years — even in regions with decades of proven oil and gas production.
Communities all over the West rely on energy production for their economic livelihoods, and this production reliably powers our nation’s energy grid.
This isn’t just an economic problem. It’s a grid reliability concern.
While the team was in Wyoming, more than 100,000 people lost power due to a fire at a power plant.
Traditional forms of energy from the West are crucial for meeting the increasing demand for electric vehicles, AI production, and usage.
What the team has seen throughout their time in Colorado, Utah, and Wyoming is that America’s West has workers, innovators, communities, and the drive to create abundance.
It desperately needs a permitting system that works.
That’s why advancing the SPEED Act is such a critical step.
SPEED would restore the National Environmental Policy Act to its original purpose by:
The biggest barrier isn’t a lack of technology, but uncertainty. Uncertainty hinders investment, supply, and affordability.
This fight is bigger than oil and gas in Colorado, Utah, and Wyoming.
It’s about the people whose lives and futures depend on energy freedom.
If Washington wants lower prices, stronger communities, and a secure grid, it must listen to the everyday Americans who demand permitting reform.
👉 Add your name and tell Congress to pass permitting reform now and unleash American energy abundance.
© 2025 AMERICANS FOR PROSPERITY. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. | PRIVACY POLICY
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