A bipartisan bill overhauling the process of gaining federal approval for energy projects was advanced by the U.S. Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee on Wednesday, Louisiana Illuminator reports.
The legislation would also require lease sales for oil and gas production in the Gulf of Mexico and do away with a controversial pause on LNG exports put in place by President Joe Biden in January.
The 15-4 vote signals broad support for the bill, but it is still unclear if Congress will move the measure to Biden’s desk.
Democrats and Republicans alike have criticized the complicated and lengthy process of gaining federal approval for energy projects, saying it delays both clean energy and fossil fuel production.
Sens. Joe Manchin III, I-West Virginia, and John Barrasso, R-Wyoming, sponsored the bill. At Wednesday’s committee meeting, Manchin said only a bipartisan effort would be able to address the issues with energy permitting. The legislation is the product of nearly two years of negotiation that included input from a wide range of interested parties.
