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A bipartisan Senate permitting bill intended to speed energy and grid projects faces a new obstacle after the Trump administration moved to reconsider federal approval for several offshore wind projects. Supporters are lobbying for passage, but negotiations and the bill’s prospects remain unsettled; a Senate vote is not expected before the midterm elections.
The Trump administration’s effort to reopen federal approval for several offshore wind projects has put new pressure on a bipartisan Senate permitting bill designed to speed construction of energy and grid infrastructure. The Justice Department asked a court on Tuesday to let the government reconsider the permit for New England Wind, a proposed 2-gigawatt development off Massachusetts, as well as approval for other projects.
The bill, introduced by a bipartisan group of senators three weeks before the report, could shorten some energy project timelines by changing how federal permits are handled when states are slow to act. An analysis by Columbia University’s Center on Global Energy Policy says a delayed transmission project facing permitting challenges can take nearly 18 years to enter service; the legislation could cut as much as eight years from that timeline. Those figures describe the analysis’s scenario, not a guaranteed outcome for every project.
The proposal would also give solar, wind and geothermal projects a faster route through permitting, but it could speed approval of gas pipelines as well. Tribal and environmental groups have called for revisions over concerns including pipeline provisions. Rep. Ro Khanna, a California Democrat, has separately raised concerns that the bill could enable faster data center construction.
Clean-energy and business groups are pressing for passage. Advanced Energy United, the Solar Energy Industries Association and three other industry groups sent congressional leaders a letter urging swift action. Former officials from administrations led by Trump, Biden, Obama, Clinton and both Bushes also backed the bill in a separate letter, according to Canary Media. The administration has reportedly offered a limited concession: a White House official said Thursday that the Defense Department would allow a handful of delayed onshore wind projects to proceed.
Permitting Talks Face a Wind Test
The dispute puts a central political question around the bill into sharper focus: whether lawmakers can agree on faster energy permitting while the administration challenges approvals for some wind projects. The proposal’s supporters say changes could help energy and transmission projects move through a lengthy approval process. But the offshore wind actions risk undermining confidence that a permitting agreement would provide a predictable path for projects.
The bill is not limited to clean energy. Its potential to accelerate gas pipelines and other infrastructure has drawn criticism from groups concerned about its wider effects, while some clean-energy advocates support passage despite those trade-offs. That mix makes negotiations consequential for a broad range of developers and communities, not only offshore wind companies.
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What the Senate Proposal Would Change
The legislation would allow federal regulators to grant permits when states do not act quickly enough, a mechanism that could reduce delays for some projects. Columbia University’s analysis estimates the potential time savings for transmission development at up to eight years in certain circumstances. It does not establish that every project would be approved faster by that amount.
The Senate proposal has attracted backing from clean-energy trade groups and former officials across several administrations, but it has also prompted calls for changes. The permitting fight is unfolding alongside federal actions involving offshore wind. The Justice Department’s request concerns a proposed project off Massachusetts; the administration is also seeking to reconsider approval for Revolution Wind, which is already producing power, and other offshore projects, according to the report.
“This is how you blow up a permitting deal.”
— Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, a Democratic sponsor of the permitting bill, speaking to Politico
Permit Reviews and Votes Remain Unsettled
The court has not been reported as having decided whether the federal government may reconsider the New England Wind permit. The full scope and outcome of the administration’s efforts involving Revolution Wind and the other projects are also unclear from the available reporting. The fact that Revolution Wind is producing power does not establish what any permit review would mean for its operations.
It is also uncertain whether the reported onshore wind concession will be enough to restore negotiations over the Senate bill. The administration’s offer concerns a handful of projects; the report does not identify them or provide detailed terms. Nor is the final text settled: lawmakers may face further lobbying and demands to revise provisions involving pipelines and other infrastructure.
Negotiations Before a Delayed Vote
The Senate is not scheduled to vote on the permitting bill until after the midterm elections, according to Canary Media. Before then, senators and stakeholder groups may continue negotiations over the bill’s scope and the administration’s actions toward offshore wind approvals. A court decision on the Justice Department’s request could clarify the immediate status of New England Wind, but the report gives no date for that decision.
For now, supporters are continuing to press for legislation, while the White House’s reported onshore wind offer and the offshore permit disputes remain part of the political backdrop. Whether the two sides can reach an agreement—and what changes the bill might undergo—has not been established.
Key Questions
What is the Senate permitting bill intended to do?
It would change federal permitting procedures for energy and grid projects, including allowing federal regulators to grant permits when states do not act quickly enough. Columbia University’s analysis says that could cut as much as eight years from the timeline for some delayed transmission projects.
What offshore wind action has raised concerns?
The Justice Department asked a court to let the federal government reconsider the permit for the proposed 2-gigawatt New England Wind project off Massachusetts. The administration is also seeking to revisit approval for Revolution Wind and other projects, according to the report.
Has the permitting bill passed?
No. It is a proposal backed by a bipartisan group of senators, and a Senate vote is not expected until after the midterm elections.
Why do some groups oppose or seek changes to the bill?
The proposal could speed up gas pipeline permitting as well as clean-energy projects. Tribal and environmental groups have called for revisions, and Rep. Ro Khanna has raised concerns about faster data center construction.
Did the administration offer a concession on wind?
A White House official reportedly said the Defense Department would allow a handful of long-delayed onshore wind projects to proceed. Whitehouse called the offer “a start”; the report does not specify the projects or say that it resolved the wider dispute.
Source: rss
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