Oklahoma’s Republican governor, Kevin Stitt, criticized the Trump administration for its handling of wind energy projects during a Semafor event focused on permitting reform.
“It’s very disappointing,” Stitt told Semafor’s Ben Smith when asked about the administration’s efforts to kill wind projects, like a nearly-finished project in Rhode Island and Connecticut. “That just looks like politics when you’re canceling those.”
Stitt said he has raised the issue in conversations with Energy Secretary Chris Wright. “We’ve got to be agnostic on these issues,” he continued.
His comments came soon after a federal judge struck down President Donald Trump’s order halting wind projects on federal lands and waters.
Sens. Mike Lee, R-Utah, and Martin Heinrich, D-N.M., also expressed cautious optimism about the prospect of a permitting deal in Congress next year, during separate interviews with Semafor’s Burgess Everett.
Lee, who leads the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, described himself as “guardedly optimistic” about the prospect of a breakthrough. He cited conversations he is having with Heinrich and others across the aisle and said that he has talked to Senate leadership.
Permitting reform could “absolutely” be on the Senate floor next year, Lee said.
Still, there’s reason to be skeptical, after a bipartisan deal passed out of the Senate last year only to be blocked by the House.
Lee said members “ran out of game clock” last time and that he believes there is more urgency now, citing the growing power demands of data centers amid the artificial intelligence race.
Heinrich, the top Democrat on the committee, said he is “optimistic that this is a space where we’re more aligned than maybe some of the other spaces.” He added that he’s more worried about the Trump administration’s action stopping projects than about Congress’ lack of agreement on the issue of permitting reform.
