Permitting reform: Washington's elusive bipartisan dream - POLITICO
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Permitting reform: Washington's elusive bipartisan dream<br>Permitting reform is a top legislative priority for both Democrats and Republicans this year. It may still not get done.
Chris Wright, then nominee to lead the Department of Energy, chatting on Capitol Hill with Sen. John Hickenlooper (D-Colo.) before Wright's confirmation hearing on Jan. 15, 2025. Wright recently met with a group of Republicans on permitting reform. Hickenlooper, Wright's home-state senator, has been a Democratic booster for an overhaul of how projects are approved. | Rod Lamkey Jr./AP
By Josh Siegel05/23/2026 06:50 AM EDTUpdated: 05/22/2026 05:41 PM EDT
Energy Secretary Chris Wright on Tuesday had dinner with a group of Republican lawmakers to discuss changes to the nation’s permitting laws. That followed a dinner Monday between top Senate committee leaders engaged in negotiations toward a bipartisan overhaul.<br>But despite signs of momentum and a goal among senators of reaching a deal by summer, permitting reform — for the moment — remains something that enjoys wide support and never a clear path to enactment. That’s because for all the common ground in both parties around encouraging more energy production and accelerating projects of all types, permitting also touches on thorny issues for congressional Republicans, Democrats and this White House.
Many Democrats are open to negotiating changes to bedrock environmental laws like the National Environmental Policy Act but their allies in the environmental community are wary of giving away too much. Republicans are skeptical of taking authority away from states over power lines. And President Donald Trump has been on a crusade against renewable energy, particularly wind.
Whether Congress can pass a broad permitting law after years of trying will depend on lawmakers and the White House reconciling clashing priorities during a contentious election year.<br>“We see this as a window of opportunity, given the need to be able to build things, the challenges we have for either transmission or energy production or building of anything,” said Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks (R-Iowa), chair of the Conservative Climate Caucus, who wants to use her clout to push for a deal.<br>But Sen. Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), ranking member of the Energy and Natural Resources Committee, one of the key negotiators on the issue, said the administration continues jeopardizing the talks.<br>“The thing that is the biggest threat to permitting reform right now is that the Trump administration backslid into a series of stalled-out permits,” Heinrich said. “They’re permitting fossil fuel projects left and right, and they’re not moving solar, wind and batteries.”<br>Heinrich and Senate Environment and Public Works ranking member Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.) cut off negotiations in December after the administration moved to halt five near-complete offshore wind farms along the Eastern Seaboard.
Senate Energy and Natural Resources ranking member Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.). | Francis Chung/POLITICO
The Democrats returned to the table after judges ruled against the stop-work orders and the administration began to show signs of easing its blockade on solar projects — a clean energy source that is supported by influential parts of the MAGA coalition.<br>But the administration is still working against offshore wind, and industry advocates say the Defense Department has been sitting on national security reviews for more than a hundred onshore projects around the nation.<br>During an April hearing, Interior Secretary Doug Burgum said, “This is the moment” for permitting reform. But then said earlier this month the administration would appeal a ruling against his department’s enhanced scrutiny of renewable energy.<br>Whitehouse told POLITICO that Democrats would take an internal caucus vote before moving forward with any bill. “And if none of our caucus believes that the Trump administration can be trusted, then good luck getting the bill done at the end,” he said.<br>Whitehouse and Heinrich are working on crafting an agreement with Environment and Public Works Chair Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) and Energy and Natural Resources Chair Mike Lee (R-Utah). All four where at Monday’s dinner organized by Sen. John Hickenlooper (D-Colo.), another permitting reform champion.<br>Taylor Rogers, a White House spokesperson, said, “President Trump has accomplished incredible executive reforms to streamline and modernize the permitting process in America, but we need legislative permitting reforms to unlock much-needed critical energy projects. We are working closely with our partners in Congress to drive these reforms, which will help lower energy costs for Americans.”<br>‘Won’t be able to whip the votes’<br>A permitting accord could cut red tape for both renewable energy and fossil fuel projects, limit environmental group lawsuits and bolster the electric grid to address...