By Timothy Gardner and Nichola Groom
WASHINGTON, Sept 30 (Reuters) – US senators from both parties said on Wednesday they have reached a deal to reform laws on the permitting of large energy and infrastructure projects, though a vote will not occur before the midterm elections.
Talks on the legislation had halted in December when President Donald Trump paused five offshore East Coast wind farms that were nearly complete. The effort accelerated in recent weeks after Trump had reassured Democrats that wind and solar energy projects would be given better treatment in the bill.
“We’re motivated by one central shared concern, we want to make it easier in America to build things,” Republican Senator Mike Lee, the chairman of the Senate Energy Committee, told reporters.
Senator Sheldon Whitehouse, a Democrat, said nothing in the bill was easy and it will take more work on amendments before a vote.
“A lot of dead-end avenues had to be explored before we found the compromises that made this possible,” he said.
Whitehouse said lawmakers needed more clarity on “the question of returning to regular order for wind and solar projects” from the Trump administration and that the issue is unresolved.
Senator Shelley Moore Capito, a Republican, said the “goal” is for the permitting bill to be the first vote taken in the chamber after it returns following the November 3 midterm elections.
The senators unveiled the Bipartisan American Affordability and Jobs Act after a press conference on Wednesday.
The White House has said the administration is working to pass historic permitting reform to help improve energy infrastructure and lower costs.
The US House of Representatives, which has not passed the permitting bill, is scheduled to be in recess until after the November midterm elections.
(Reporting by Timothy Gardner and Nichola Groom; Editing by David Gregorio)
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