Senate reaches bipartisan deal on permitting bill to speed approvals of new energy projects
Bipartisan senators announced a deal on legislation intended to accelerate permitting for energy and infrastructure projects, partly in response to electricity demand from AI data centers. The bill would require data centers to pay for associated transmission upgrades and limit certain environmental-law challenges, but a Senate vote is not expected until after the midterm elections.
A bipartisan group of senators said they had reached an agreement on permitting legislation designed to speed reviews for major energy and infrastructure projects. Supporters said the measure would help expand the electric grid as AI data centers increase power demand while preserving environmental protections and requiring data centers to cover the transmission costs they create.
The bill would narrow legal challenges under the National Environmental Policy Act and National Historic Preservation Act, ease siting of interstate transmission lines, and expand the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission's role in reviewing major projects. A vote is expected during a lame-duck session after the midterm elections, although Democratic senators, including Sheldon Whitehouse and Martin Heinrich, said unresolved issues remain over the Trump administration's treatment of renewable-energy projects.