Key Senate negotiators held a bipartisan meeting Monday night to discuss closing a long-sought deal on permitting reform this Congress, in a sign that talks are progressing despite the difficult odds in a midterm election year, POLITICO has learned.
Sen. John Hickenlooper (D-Colo.), a moderate Energy and Natural Resources Committee member active on permitting issues, organized the dinner meeting with committee leaders to “provide a forum to keep conversations moving,” a person familiar told POLITICO.
Environment Public Works Chair Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) and Energy and Natural Resources Chair Mike Lee (R-Utah) attended the gathering, along with the ranking members of each panel — Democratic Sens. Sheldon Whitehouse of Rhode Island and Martin Heinrich of New Mexico, respectively.
Lee in an interview Tuesday called it a “good bipartisan meeting” and stressed “we’re making good progress” on an overhaul of federal permitting rules for energy projects of all kinds — from solar and wind farms to long-distance power lines to pipelines and gas export plants — in a bid to respond to spiking electricity and gasoline prices.
