Planet-sized problems collide in permitting debate

Driving the news: The Senate is set to hold an initial procedural vote Monday on a sprawling bipartisan bill that would make it easier to build power lines and energy projects of all kinds, including clean energy and fossil fuels.

• At the heart of the debate is how much public scrutiny projects should face before they're approved — and how much protection those approvals should receive afterward.
• Supporters say the current system takes too long, delaying clean energy and other infrastructure. Opponents warn that speeding things up could come at the expense of wildlife, public lands and tribal rights.

Between the lines: The dilemma reflects a fundamental tension within the environmental movement: Building the infrastructure needed to combat climate change can threaten nature, while protecting nature can complicate efforts to build that infrastructure.

• Wind and solar farms, for example, can require large expanses of land, potentially disrupting wildlife habitats even as they help reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

• "The part of my organization that cares about climate sees great opportunity and the part that cares about nature sees some dangers," said a leader of one organization that focuses on both causes, speaking anonymously to discuss the proposal candidly.

The big picture: Both parties broadly agree Washington needs to overhaul federal permitting, a perennial goal that has eluded Congress for years. The question is what reforms can attract enough support to pass both chambers.

• The bill's bipartisan sponsors and the White House want action before year's end. But some Democrats, emboldened by their midterm victories, argue they should wait until next year, when they'll have more power and time to scrutinize the legislation.
• Even if the Senate passes the bill, the House would still need to approve it before it could reach President Trump's desk.

Zoom out: The legislation is confined to the United States, but the tensions it exposes are global — and are playing out at two major international gatherings.

• Representatives from more than 190 countries are gathering in Antalya, Turkey, for annual United Nations climate talks beginning Monday. The host country is pushing to increase electricity's share of global final energy consumption from just over 20% today to 35% by 2035, which would require much of the same buildout under discussion in Washington.
• A separate, lower-profile UN gathering focused on protecting biodiversity concluded in Armenia late last month. Countries acknowledged they're falling short of their goal to halt and reverse nature loss by 2030, while agreeing on steps to accelerate progress.

What they're saying: The fact that these two discussions take place separately is part of the problem, said Ani Dasgupta, head of the World Resources Institute.

• Within the U.S., the permitting debate is forcing these conversations to converge.
• "We want everyone to be more overt about this tension, rather than covert about it," said Dasgupta, a former World Bank official. "I don't think it helps to say we can't build anything today, and also that we need to take everyone's rights away to build stuff."

Friction point: Three provisions of the Senate bill show what's at stake for conservationists.

• Public lands: Former Biden climate adviser John Podesta warned that an earlier version of the bill could make federal permits harder for agencies to reverse, potentially allowing the Trump administration to approve development on sensitive public lands that future administrations would struggle to undo.
• Federal reviews: The legislation would shorten and limit aspects of federal environmental reviews, including public input and opportunities to challenge project approvals in court. Conservationists and tribal organizations warn the changes could weaken protections for wildlife, public lands and culturally significant sites.
• Wildlife: The bill would allow states to take over certain federal responsibilities for assessing how projects affect endangered species. Environmental advocates warn the changes could weaken protections for vulnerable wildlife.

Catch up quick: An updated version released Saturday revises rules on permit reversals and adds safeguards for wildlife and tribal consultation.

• But the changes haven't satisfied all conservationists. The Wilderness Society reaffirmed its opposition on Saturday, warning the bill still threatens public lands and weakens environmental protections.

Zoom in: Carter Roberts, head of the World Wildlife Fund, which has not taken a public position on the bill, says environmentalists should seek solutions that address both climate change and nature loss.

• "The best solutions to climate change also conserve nature and prevent it from disappearing," Roberts said.

The other side: Sponsors of the legislation and other proponents emphasize that no bill is perfect and trade-offs are inevitable.

• "There's no question that making the system more efficient diminishes certain aspects of access to project approval. That is the point of the legislation," said Jason Grumet, head of the American Clean Power Association.
• But he added: "We think the balance has been struck in a way that sustains meaningful access."

What we're watching: Whether lawmakers can reconcile these competing priorities and pass the bill before the new Congress takes office remains uncertain.

The bottom line: "The permitting bill debate is not a unique debate," said Dasgupta, who is in Turkey for the climate talks. "Everywhere in the world, we need to build stuff."