The US Senate is nearing a deal to speed permits for major infrastructure projects after the White House assured Democrats it would improve how wind and solar are handled, Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse said; a vote before November’s midterms remains uncertain.
Whitehouse and Sen. Martin Heinrich have negotiated with Republicans for months, though talks were cut off in December after President Donald Trump halted five near-complete offshore East Coast wind farms. Whitehouse said the agreed broad parameters would be drafted into legislative language in the coming days or hours for review by lawmakers, industry and environmental groups. He also said he wanted more clarity from the administration on its renewable-energy assurances.
The House has not passed the bill and is scheduled to be in recess until after the November midterms. Republicans say the National Environmental Policy Act and Clean Water Act can delay major projects; Democrats have said they are willing to reform the laws and have pressed for faster construction of transmission lines for wind and solar power. Trade groups representing electric utilities, renewable-energy companies, and the oil and gas sector have urged bipartisan reform this year.
