What Is Congress’s Plan to Speed Up Energy Permits?

As Democrats return to Capitol Hill after stunning midterm victories, one of their first tough decisions is whether to back a sweeping, contentious plan to make it easier to build power plants, gas pipelines, transmission lines and other energy infrastructure. The Senate is scheduled to take an initial procedural vote on Monday evening on the bipartisan permitting-reform bill , which would overhaul longstanding environmental laws to speed development of fossil fuels and renewable energy alike.

Business groups, energy developers and labor unions all back the legislation, as does President Trump . The United States is struggling to build enough power sources to keep up with soaring electricity demand, especially for A.I. data centers. Cutting red tape, proponents say, could increase supplies and lower electricity prices. Yet the 494-page bill has divided Democrats, whose votes are needed in the lame-duck session. Supporters say the bill would bolster clean energy technologies that could reduce planet-warming emissions.

But environmentalists have sharply criticized provisions that would benefit oil and gas and make it harder to sue to block polluting facilities. Last week’s “blue tsunami” could complicate passage. Some Democrats have said the party should negotiate a new bill next year, when they’ll have large majorities. Others counter that this bill took years to negotiate with Senate Republicans and the White House, and a better deal is unlikely anytime soon.

“We don’t have more years to lose as clean energy projects sit on the sidelines, and there’s no guarantee Congress would ever find another compromise that would be able to pass the Senate,” said Senator Sheldon Whitehouse, Democrat of Rhode Island, one of the authors of the bill. “Democrats ran and won on affordability, and this bill lowers costs for families and will allow us to start delivering on our election promises. It’s a bird in the hand.

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