Democratic lawmakers are reluctant to support legislation to accelerate the construction of energy and infrastructure projects out of fear that President Donald Trump will refuse to apply accelerated reviews for wind and solar projects.
The Democrats’ hesitancy, which stems from the Trump administration’s efforts to block the construction of several offshore wind farms, is the prime obstacle to the effort launched by House Republicans to modernize and digitize the permitting process and simplify the National Environmental Policy Act.
Several Democrats have expressed interest in supporting these proposed reforms, as both sides of the aisle agree that environmental rules have made it too difficult to build in the United States. While Democrats generally do not share Republicans’ ambition of unlocking new fossil fuel production, they do wish to accelerate the permitting process for clean energy and traditional infrastructure projects in their districts. Some have even co-sponsored legislation introduced by their Republican colleagues.
Rep. Jared Golden (D-ME) signed on to the Standardizing Permitting and Expediting Economic Development Act introduced by House Natural Resources Committee Chairman Bruce Westerman (R-AR) at the end of July.
This bill would overhaul and simplify the NEPA, which requires federal agencies to evaluate the environmental effects of major actions and decisions relevant to their departments. It would also limit legal challenges to projects under the existing law.
In an apparent effort to bring more Democrats on board, the bill includes language that is agnostic toward energy sources and infrastructure projects — meaning accelerated reviews would apply to wind, solar, and fossil fuels.
Not all lawmakers, however, are convinced that language is enough to ensure renewables will see the benefits.
Rep. Seth Magaziner (D-RI), who has said he wants to reach a “yes” on bipartisan legislation, told the Washington Examiner that he is doubtful the White House would enforce accelerated permitting for renewables, given Trump’s recent crackdown on offshore wind.
“I very much want to engage in negotiations on an all-of-the-above permitting reform. But if the administration is just going to block clean energy projects that have their approvals from going forward, then how could we on our side assume that they are going to be negotiating in good faith?” Magaziner said, referring to the stop-work order issued for the Revolution Wind farm off the coast of Rhode Island that is roughly 80% complete.
“If we work together on bipartisan permitting reform with the understanding that it includes clean energy, we pass it through Congress, and then the administration does it all except for the clean energy part, then we will look like a bunch of suckers,” Magaziner added. “And we’re not, we’re not going to go for that. So we’re going to need to see some action from the administration that shows that we’re actually committed to an all-of-the-above energy strategy.”
Rep. Scott Peters (D-CA), who has also co-sponsored legislation focused on modernizing the permitting process, agreed, telling the Washington Examiner that he did not believe they could achieve Democratic consensus without assurance from the White House.
Peters pointed to changes made by the Trump administration that have made it more difficult to permit and approve a renewable energy project, such as requiring Interior Secretary Doug Burgum to personally sign off on proposals located on federal lands.
He described these obstacles as “anti-business” and said that ideologically driven policy will hurt the U.S.’s ability to secure enough power needed to beat China in the race for artificial intelligence.
While Republicans may have to cede to Democrats’ demands for accelerated permits for renewables, Peters said Democrats will have to do the same for natural gas to secure enough demand and lower energy prices for consumers.
Members on the right side of the aisle appear more optimistic about coming to a bipartisan agreement in the coming weeks and months.
“A lot of Democrats can come to the table, particularly when they understand that at the end of the day, we all actually want the same things,” Rep. Nick Begich (R-AK) told the Washington Examiner. “The regulations that have stymied traditional energy production in the United States are the same regulations that are stymying renewable energy production in the United States.”
Rep. Bob Latta (R-OH), chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee’s subcommittee on energy, said a final permitting bill will not necessarily be Republican or Democratic, given the widespread desire to build things faster.
He pointed to the Energy and Commerce Committee’s track record for advancing bipartisan bills, noting that the panel has put out more than any other in the House.
Latta told the Washington Examiner he is working on different pieces of legislation with Democrats right now, looking for bipartisan amendments to ensure they have the votes to advance a bill to the floor.
As discussions continue, the Problem Solvers Caucus, a group of centrist Republicans and Democrats, also unveiled a possible framework for permitting reform.
HOUSE GOP INVOKES RENEWABLE ENERGY TO WIN DEMOCRATIC SUPPORT FOR PERMITTING REFORM
Their recommendations align closely with permitting reform legislation already introduced in the House by streamlining NEPA reviews, restricting judicial review, and prioritizing digitization. It also aims to bolster the buildout of grid infrastructure to support new generation.
“Right now it takes years, even decades, for new green energy and other projects to get connected to the grid and start generating energy to meet demand,” Caucus co-Chairman Tom Suozzi (D-NY) said. “We need commonsense, bipartisan solutions to cut red tape, bring projects online faster, and make energy more affordable for American families. That’s exactly what this framework does.”
Maydeen Merino contributed to this report.
