March 5 (Reuters) – Senate Democrats are ready to restart negotiations on legislation to speed permitting large infrastructure projects, two lawmakers announced on Thursday, saying they were encouraged by the Trump administration’s recent moves to review renewable energy project applications that had been stalled.
The joint statement by Senators Sheldon Whitehouse and Martin Heinrich comes as some Republicans have said publicly that fully approved projects should not be cancelled or delayed due to shifting political priorities.
“After discussions with our colleagues, we have decided to reopen negotiations on permitting reform,” Heinrich and Whitehouse said. “We are hopeful that recent developments are indicative of a positive direction from the Trump administration.
“As we move forward, we expect that there will be no further interference with already-permitted wind projects and that the initial movement we’ve seen on solar project permitting will accelerate, and other renewable projects will move forward as well.”
Trump has used his second term to hinder the expansion of clean energy technologies that were a cornerstone of former President Joe Biden’s climate and energy agendas.
In July, the Interior Department announced new layers of review for wind and solar projects that have stalled progress. The administration has also sought to block offshore wind projects that are fully permitted and under construction.
Several solar projects on a fast-track federal permitting list show updated review timelines in recent weeks.
The SPEED Act passed the House of Representatives in December but faced opposition in the Senate from Democrats who want the legislation to benefit clean energy and related transmission projects.
Republican Senator Mike Lee, who serves as chairman of the Energy and Natural Resources Committee, said he was encouraged by the Democrats’ willingness to resume talks.
“We have a real opportunity to deliver bipartisan reform that allows America to build again,” Lee said in an emailed statement. “I look forward to continuing those discussions and getting this done.”
The White House and Interior Department did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
(Reporting by Nichola Groom; Editing by Michael Perry)
