Massive power lines that are part of the Power Pathway project can be seen stretching to the horizon just south of Brush, Colorado, on January 8, 2024.
Helen H. Richardson | Media News Group | The Denver Post | Getty Images
The Senate on Monday advanced a bipartisan bill aimed at significantly speeding up the approval process for critical infrastructure projects in the United States.
The 73-25 vote allows the Senate to begin consideration of the bipartisan American Wages and Jobs Act for final passage.
The bill would reform the project permitting process and has emerged as a key priority for the lame-duck session of Congress. President Donald Trump, who often opposes bipartisan legislation, supports the package.
The bill would amend the National Environmental Policy Act, the National Historic Preservation Act, the Clean Water Act, and the Endangered Species Act, among other laws, to speed up the review process that prevents the construction of power generation and other resources, and overhaul the process for green-lighting power lines.
The bill would also force artificial intelligence companies and data center developers to pay for power and grid enhancements out of pocket.
Republicans have long argued that environmental laws are too restrictive and prevent the U.S. from building large-scale things like power plants and mines. Democrats, meanwhile, want to accelerate the construction of clean energy projects such as solar and wind to reduce carbon emissions.
Lawmakers have been passing agreements for years to streamline the nation’s complex web of permitting laws, but most of their efforts so far have been in vain. This year, negotiators believe they will strike a storm and pass the BAAJA law before this Congress ends in January.
After last week’s election, in which Democrats swept away Republicans and took control of both chambers of Congress, lawmakers are touting further tailwinds.
“Exactly one week ago, Americans sent a clear message: They want Congress to focus on making their lives more affordable, and that’s exactly what this permit reform bill will do,” Sen. Martin Heinrich (D.M.), the top Democrat and likely to become the next Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee chairman, said at a press conference Monday morning.
Even if the bill passes the Senate this week, it would still need approval from the House. President Trump’s support for the initiative will likely lead to a vote in the House if the bill passes the Senate.
