
参议院周一投票推进一项重大两党法案,旨在加快能源和其他基础设施项目的建设——为该措施成为法律扫清了一个关键障碍。投票结果为 73 票赞成、25 票反对,为参议院在未来几周内很可能通过该法案铺平了道路。参议员迈克·朗兹(共和党-南达科他州)是唯一投反对票的共和党人。与他一起投反对票的民主党参议员有:安吉拉·奥尔布鲁克斯(马里兰州)、塔米·鲍德温(威斯康星州)、迈克尔·贝内特(科罗拉多州)、丽莎·布朗特-罗切斯特(特拉华州)、科里·布克(新泽西州)、玛丽亚·坎特韦尔(华盛顿州)、塔米·达克沃斯(伊利诺伊州)、迪克·德宾(伊利诺伊州)、玛吉·哈桑(新罕布什尔州)、广野庆子(夏威夷州)、蒂姆·凯恩(弗吉尼亚州)、马克·凯利(亚利桑那州)、本·雷·卢汉(新墨西哥州)、埃德·马基(马萨诸塞州)、杰夫·默克利(俄勒冈州)、帕蒂·默里(华盛顿州)、亚历克斯·帕迪利亚(加利福尼亚州)、亚当·希夫(加利福尼亚州)、蒂娜·史密斯(明尼苏达州)、克里斯·范霍伦(马里兰州)、伊丽莎白·沃伦(马萨诸塞州)、彼得·韦尔奇(佛蒙特州)、罗恩·怀登(俄勒冈州)以及参议员伯尼·桑德斯(无党籍-佛蒙特州)。
The Senate voted Monday to advance a major bipartisan bill that aims to speed up the construction of energy and other infrastructure projects — clearing a key hurdle toward the measure becoming law. The vote was 73-25, teeing up likely Senate passage in the weeks ahead. Sen. Mike Rounds (S.D.) was the only GOP no vote. He was joined by Democratic Sens. Angela Alsobrooks (Md.), Tammy Baldwin (Wis.), Michael Bennet (Colo.), Lisa Blunt-Rochester (Del.), Cory Booker (N.J.), Maria Cantwell (Wash.), Tammy Duckworth (Ill.), Dick Durbin (Ill.), Maggie Hassan (N.H.), Mazie Hirono (Hawaii), Tim Kaine (Virginia), Mark Kelly (Ariz.), Ben Ray Luján (N.M.), Ed Markey (Mass.), Jeff Merkley (Ore.), Patty Murray (Wash.), Alex Padilla (Calif.), Adam Schiff (Calif.), Tina Smith (Minn.), Chris Van Hollen (Md.), Elizabeth Warren (Mass.), Peter Welch (Vt.), Ron Wyden (Ore.) and Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.).
该法案名为《两党美国可负担与就业法案》,旨在让建设更容易——代价是削弱部分国家环境法。它将使反对者更难以环境理由起诉阻挠项目,也会削弱州政府和环境保护局(EPA)预先阻挠项目的能力,这在历史上曾阻碍化石燃料和采矿等项目。然而,民主党人周一辩称,该立法将同时有利于气候和消费者的钱包。参议员谢尔登·怀特豪斯(民主党-罗德岛州)在投票前告诉记者,预计该立法将为消费者每月节省约 60 至 80 美元。
The bill in question, the Bipartisan American Affordability and Jobs Act, seeks to make it easier to build — at the expense of some of the nation’s environmental laws. It will make it harder for opponents to sue to block projects on environmental grounds and also hamper the ability of states and the Environmental Protection Agency to preemptively block them, which has historically held up ventures such as fossil fuels and mining. However, Democrats argued Monday that the legislation will be good for both the climate and consumers’ wallets. Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.) told reporters ahead of the vote that the legislation is expected to save consumers about $60 to $80 each month.
他还表示,它将防止 15 亿至 18 亿吨温室气体排放。怀特豪斯说,它将使全国风电装机容量增加 25%、太阳能装机容量增加 28%、电池储能装机容量增加 70%。“这是一项气候与清洁能源法案。
“一旦该法案成为法律,它在电力部门的气候效应将比《通胀削减法案》更强大——这主要归因于共和党人对《通胀削减法案》造成的破坏。这成了我们最大的已实施气候法案,”怀特豪斯说。
He also said it will prevent between 1.5 and 1.8 gigatons of greenhouse gas emissions. Whitehouse said it will increase the nation’s wind capacity by 25 percent, solar capacity by 28 percent and battery storage capacity by 70 percent. “This is a climate and clean energy bill. Once this bill is law, it will have a more powerful climate effect in the power sector than the IRA [Inflation Reduction Act] will have — largely because of the destruction wrought by Republicans on the IRA. This becomes our biggest implemented climate bill,” Whitehouse said.
然而,在投票前后,特朗普总统给这一进程注入了一些最后时刻的混乱,称尽管该立法旨在为各类能源创造确定性,但他不会批准新的风电项目。在白宫被问及是否同意批准风力涡轮机——该法案通过旨在扶持的能源来源之一——时,特朗普说:“不,我不会批准风力涡轮机。”“该法案尚未完全谈判妥当,”他对记者说。“我不会批准风力涡轮机,因为风力涡轮机是一个主要的失败者。”
Around the time of the vote, however, President Trump injected some last-minute chaos into the process, saying he would not approve new wind projects despite the legislation, which seeks to create certainty for various types of energy. Asked at the White House if he was OK with approving wind turbines, which are among the energy sources the measure’s passage aims to bolster, Trump said, “No, I will not approve wind turbines.”“The bill hasn’t been fully negotiated,” he told reporters. “I will not approve wind turbines because wind turbines are a major loser.”
特朗普政府对可再生能源项目(尤其是风电)的反对,一直是该法案谈判中的一个特别敏感点。法案包含旨在防止总统政府撤销现有许可的条款——这目前可能是可再生能源的胜利,未来在民主党政府执政下可能成为化石燃料的胜利。项目开发商还将能够就某类能源来源受到“区别对待”起诉政府。
The Trump administration’s opposition to renewable energy projects, especially wind, has been a particular flashpoint in negotiations on the bill. It includes language that seeks to prevent presidential administrations from revoking existing permits — which could be a win for renewables right now and fossil fuels in the future under a Democratic administration. Project developers would also be able to sue the government over “disparate treatment” of certain types of energy sources.
不过,在讲话中,特朗普表示他仍然支持该立法,并曾在周末敦促参议院批准。
In his remarks, though, Trump said he was still on board with the legislation, which he had urged the Senate to approve over the weekend.
与此同时,除了这些项目确定性条款外,该法案的民主党支持者还吹捧其中旨在使建设更多输电线路更容易的条款,从而将包括可再生能源在内的更多能源接入电网。他们还指出,法案条款将要求数据中心为其使用的电力以及运营所需的电力基础设施至少支付其应承担的公平份额。
In addition to these project certainty provisions, meanwhile, Democratic supporters of the bill also tout language that seeks to make it easier to build more power lines, adding more energy, including renewable energy, onto the electric grid. They also note that provisions of the legislation would require data centers to pay at least their fair share for the power that they use and electricity infrastructure that they require to operate.
尽管如此,该措施仍面临众多主要环保组织的反对。“更新并加快输电和清洁能源许可对于降低成本、减少空气、水和气候污染、保护社区以及为美国人民扩展电网至关重要。但匆忙通过一项侵蚀部落主权和民众对其社区建设项目发表意见的权利、放弃清洁水保障和野生动物保护、并进一步助长一位正在向清洁能源和公共土地发动战争的流氓总统的立法,不是可以接受的结果,”塞拉俱乐部执行主任洛伦·布莱克福德在最近的一份声明中说。
Nevertheless, the measure faces opposition from numerous leading environmental organizations. “Updating and expediting transmission and clean energy permitting is essential to delivering lower costs, reduced air, water, and climate pollution, protecting communities, and expanding the grid for the American people. But rushing legislation that erodes Tribal sovereignty and people’s right to have a say in what is built in their communities, abandons clean water safeguards, and wildlife protections, while further enabling a rogue president that is waging a war on clean energy and our public lands is not an acceptable outcome,” Loren Blackford, Sierra Club executive director, said in a recent statement.
该立法是怀特豪斯与参议员马丁·海因里希(民主党-新墨西哥州)、雪莱·摩尔·卡皮托(共和党-西弗吉尼亚州)和迈克·李(共和党-犹他州)达成的妥协。共和党人推动削减环境审查并促进化石燃料,而民主党人总体上推动为可再生能源提供帮助。该法案获得包括化石燃料、可再生能源、化工、建筑和制造业在内的各行业主要团体的广泛支持。
The legislation is a compromise reached among Whitehouse and Sens. Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) and Mike Lee (R-Utah). The Republicans pushed to curtail environmental reviews and promote fossil fuels, while the Democrats broadly pushed for help for renewable energy. The bill has broad support from various industries, including leading groups in the fossil fuel, renewable energy, chemical, construction and manufacturing sectors.
周一,代表电力公用事业的行业协会爱迪生电力协会也宣布支持,此前立法者周六宣布了对法案的一些修改。周末的修改试图争取的另一个群体是部落,部落对历史保护法的修改表示担忧,称这可能会剥夺他们对拟建项目发表意见的机会。然而周日,几个代表部落的团体重申反对该法案,称其将“继续从根本上破坏部落主权,削弱长期的联邦保护,无法确保有意义的政府间部落磋商,并威胁圣地和文化资源。”如果该立法通过参议院,接下来将提交众议院。
On Monday, the Edison Electric Institute, a trade group representing electric utilities, also announced its support after lawmakers announced some changes to the bill on Saturday. Another group the weekend’s changes sought to court is tribes, which have expressed concerns about changes to historic preservation laws that they said could cut out their opportunities to weigh in on proposed projects. On Sunday, however, several groups representing tribes reaffirmed their opposition to the bill, saying it would “continue to fundamentally undermine Tribal sovereignty, weaken longstanding federal protections, fail to ensure meaningful government-to-government Tribal consultation, and threaten sacred sites and cultural resources.”If the legislation passes the Senate, it will then move over to the House.
在众议院,该法案获得了共和党的大力支持,也得到了数名民主党议员的支持。然而,许多进步派及其他民主党议员预计将反对该法案,而大选后的缺席情况则构成另一个潜在的不确定因素。美国东部时间下午6时59分更新
In the lower chamber, the bill has significant GOP support and the support of several Democrats. However, many progressive and other Democratic lawmakers are expected to oppose the bill, and post-election absences create another potential wildcard. Updated at 6:59 p.m. EST