Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, the Senate Democratic lead negotiator, said Thursday
that long-sought permitting reform to speed approvals for large energy and
infrastructure projects may not reach a vote before the election. The package, a
priority for President Trump, would shorten federal approval timelines and
environmental reviews, favoring oil and gas developers and potentially aiding
renewables by accelerating long-distance transmission to link remote wind and
solar to load centers. Two people familiar with the talks said negotiators have
agreed language aimed at protecting consumers from power-price increases tied to
data-center construction.
