WASHINGTON, Jan 28 (Reuters) - The top Democrat on the Senate environment committee said on Wednesday that Democrats will only back bipartisan legislation to expedite permitting for energy and infrastructure projects if they receive assurances that federal agencies will stop blocking renewable energy projects.
President Donald Trump has used his second term to stymie development of wind and solar energy facilities that were a cornerstone of former President Joe Biden's climate and energy agendas,
including by trying to block permitted offshore wind projects from completing construction.
The House of Representatives passed legislation in December to streamline environmental reviews and speed permitting for large energy infrastructure projects, data centers and factories, which many lawmakers view as important to meeting rising U.S. power demand.
The legislation now requires approval from the Senate, but some Democratic lawmakers oppose an amendment made to the bill that would preserve Trump's ability to block permitted offshore wind farms.
Speaking at a Senate hearing on the federal environmental review and permitting process, Rhode Island Democratic Senator Sheldon Whitehouse said he and some other Senate Democrats cannot advance permitting reform unless Trump and his cabinet secretaries level the playing field for renewable energy.
"We can add jobs and electrons, reduce emissions and waste, but it makes no sense to pass a bipartisan permitting reform that will be illegally butchered by a lawless executive branch, vindictively, irrationally and dishonestly," Whitehouse said.
The Trump administration has argued renewables are expensive and less reliable than fossil fuels, and also says offshore wind farms can pose a national security threat by interfering with radar systems.
"The responsibility for resuscitating permitting reform rests now upon the executive branch, upon credible confidence that the nonsense will stop," Whitehouse added.
(Reporting by Valerie Volcovici; Editing by Nia Williams)
