Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse wants to give more certainty to the beleaguered offshore wind industry in any bipartisan permitting package — at a time when the Trump administration has sought to throttle the energy source.
The Rhode Island Democrat said Tuesday he’s been pushing his own legislation as lawmakers continue to discuss a broad deal that’s expected to include changes to environmental laws and grid updates.
“I actually have an offshore wind permitting bill that I would like to see in whatever permitting reform we come up with,” said Whitehouse, the top Democrat on the Environment and Public Works Committee.
Last year, he released a bill the “Create Offshore Leadership and Livelihood Alignment By Operating Responsibly And Together for the Environment (COLLABORATE) Act.” Whitehouse’s office confirmed he is seeking to insert the bill into a broader package.
