By The Republic Standard News Staff
The Senate voted 73-25 on Monday to begin formal consideration of bipartisan legislation intended to accelerate permitting reviews for datacenters and other infrastructure projects.
The measure would shorten review timelines for both clean-energy and fossil-fuel developments. It also would require datacenters to cover the cost of the electricity they consume, a provision supporters say would protect households from bearing those expenses.
President Donald Trump urged senators on Sunday to back the legislation, calling it a “BIG WIN for U.S. ENERGY INDEPENDENCE and DOMINANCE.”
The bill was negotiated by four senators: Shelley Moore Capito, Mike Lee, Martin Heinrich and Sheldon Whitehouse. The group includes two Democrats and two Republicans. On Saturday, the four released amendments intended to build additional support for the measure.
Heinrich, a Democratic senator from New Mexico, said the legislation should be approved without delay. “Americans can’t afford to wait for lower electricity prices. We need to pass this bill now,” Heinrich said.
Heinrich said the proposal would save households billions of dollars on electricity, create jobs, reduce emissions and make corporations pay the energy costs associated with datacenters.
Capito called the bill a win for America.
Industry groups representing clean-energy developers and oil-and-gas producers support the measure. Environmental organizations, including the Sierra Club and National Wildlife Federation, oppose it.
Hakeem Jeffries criticized the bill. Jeffries is expected to become speaker in January.
Category: Economy
Tags: Economy, Energy, Donald Trump, United States Senate