Dan K. Eberhart is CEO of Canary, an independent oilfield services company in the United States, and a frequent commentator on oil markets and US politics. The opinions expressed in this commentary are his own.

For years, the US oil industry has had to compete for space with agriculture goods and other commodities on railways and public roads, raising energy prices and increasing congestion on the highways and smaller roads American travelers depend on every day.

Pipelines are by far the most efficient means of transporting oil and natural gas. Unfortunately, construction of new pipelines and other critical energy infrastructure is too often blocked by states, which have the power to reject pipelines under a little-understood provision of the federal Clean Water Act.

But now, President Trump is attempting to bring some much-needed relief to the process with two executive orders that could limit states' power to block pipelines, and grant federal officials more leeway to approve permits.

Trump should be commended for prioritizing the delivery of abundant and affordable energy. The US energy industry cannot continue to grow without relief from infrastructure constraints, many of which come from state leaders with the misguided belief that being pro-clean energy means they must also oppose any fossil fuel project.

Under the Clean Water Act, states must certify that projects, including pipelines, mines and bridges, comply with state water quality standards as well as federal. Unfortunately, this provision, known as Section 401, has too often been used by environmental activists and their political allies to block fossil fuel projects.

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