A US push to speed up environmental reviews for electric lines, gas pipelines and other energy infrastructure is running into resistance in Congress, with some lawmakers wary of enabling fossil fuel production even if legislation also supports a cleaner power grid.
Senator Joe Manchin extracted a pledge to reform energy permitting in return for his vote for Democrats’ $700bn climate and tax law passed last month. Congress is likely to debate the possible reforms in September.
The pace of review under US environmental laws, and litigation that often follows, has long frustrated oil and gas pipeline companies. A government survey found that between 2010 and 2018, the median time to complete a federal environmental review was 3.5 years.