Manchin-Barrasso energy permitting bill advances to full Senate

Bipartisan legislation aimed at speeding up approvals for new energy projects advanced to the full Senate Wednesday.

The legislation, put forward by Sens. Joe Manchin (I-W.Va.) and John Barrasso (R-Wyo.), sailed through committee in a 15-4 vote.

The lawmakers who opposed the legislation were Sens. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii) and Josh Hawley (R-Mo.). 

Following the markup, Marchin said the 15-4 support was “tremendously … encouraging” and told reporters, “hopefully we’ll have it done before the end of the year.”

Rep. Bruce Westerman (Ark.), a key House Republican negotiator on the issue, has expressed support for the legislation, but it’s still not clear whether it would be taken up by leadership in the lower chamber.

Barrasso said Wednesday that he has spoken with House members and leadership and that “they’re going to want to see what comes out of the Senate, and we’re going to have to get this to the Senate floor first.”

Manchin added that Wednesday’s significant committee support will enable him and Barrasso to “go over there jointly and meet with” House leaders. 

Meanwhile, during Wednesday’s markup, lawmakers agreed to work to add additional provisions to benefit hydropower projects after a push from Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska). 

Murkowski asked for a promise that “we move forward this year with legislation out of this committee that we will work on addressing the … permitting process for just these types of technologies.”

“You have our commitment,” Manchin responded. He later indicated he would try to incorporate the hydropower provisions into the permitting bill if they fit within the committee’s jurisdiction. 

The Barrasso-Manchin bill contains a range of provisions that aim to bolster various types of energy, including coal and mineral mining, oil and gas, renewable energy and power lines.

This week, more than 360 climate and environment-focused organizations wrote a letter opposing the bill. It has significant support from various energy industry trade groups, including those that represent renewable power.

During Wednesday’s markup of the bill, Democratic opponents also raised climate concerns about provisions that would bolster fossil fuel development on public lands and shorten the amount of time energy project opponents have to sue, as well as speed up the process for approving gas export projects.

“Unfortunately there are a number of provisions in this bill that run contrary to what I think the effort in 2022 was all about … that is why I reluctantly have to oppose the bill in its present form,” said Wyden, referring to 2022’s climate, tax and healthcare law.

“Given all that we know [about climate change],  the United States Congress is still considering legislation to provide a huge giveaway to big oil to drill, produce and sell more fossil fuels,” Sanders said. 

But Sen. Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), who supports the bill, said its reforms aimed at helping more power lines get built outweighs the climate damage caused by its pro-fossil provisions.

“There are some things in this that will increase emissions,” he conceded, but provisions aimed at bolstering electric power lines and geothermal energy put “us on a much faster path to addressing the things that are causing drought and forest fires and all kinds of stress across the country.”

On the Republican side, Hawley called for changes to provisions in the legislation that aim to bolster power lines. 

Manchin is set to retire from the Senate when his term ends in January. If the permitting bill is completed, it stands to be a major piece of his legacy.