Bipartisan permitting bill in Congress could speed energy projects, but draws green critics
A bipartisan group of U.S. senators introduced a 417-page permitting reform bill that would shorten reviews for energy and infrastructure projects. The proposal would require data centers to pay the additional electricity infrastructure costs associated with their operations, but environmental groups warn that faster approvals could weaken protections for communities, wildlife and water.
A bipartisan group of senators led by Mike Lee, Martin Heinrich, Shelley Moore Capito and Sheldon Whitehouse introduced legislation aimed at accelerating permits for energy and infrastructure projects. The bill would reduce review timelines, allow federal and state reviews to proceed concurrently, limit the window for legal challenges and require data centers to cover additional electricity infrastructure costs tied to their operations.
Environmental organizations, including the Center for Biological Diversity, Western Environmental Law Center and Sierra Club, argue the measure could make it easier to approve polluting or environmentally harmful projects. Supporters, including Whitehouse and the American Petroleum Institute, say the bill could lower electricity costs, expand clean power and reduce permitting delays, but the legislation faces negotiations in the Senate and skepticism from House Democrats before any vote is likely.