WASHINGTON — Despite the apparent death of Sen. Joe Manchin III’s permit overhaul legislation before it even got a vote, there are bipartisan ingredients that could be blended into a bill to change how large construction projects such as power lines and highways are greenlighted in America.
Republicans often view a permitting overhaul as a way to cut through environmental reviews, while Democrats think of it as a way to speed low-carbon power projects into existence and decouple from fossil fuel-generated electricity.
Manchin, the West Virginia Democrat who frequently argues that fossil fuels will continue to play an important role during a transition to zero-carbon energy, withdrew his permitting overhaul proposal from the must-pass spending bill as opposition from both parties appeared insurmountable. Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer said he would proceed with a spending bill to fund the government into mid-December without Manchin’s provision.
