A top DOE official defends the halt as needed to determine if more capacity will affect environmental impacts and global gas prices—but a House-passed bill that removes agency approval authority now is up for Senate consideration.
The tighter air pollution standard was long sought by health and environmental justice groups but faced criticism from manufacturing and construction industry associations.
A bill that includes $78 billion worth of tax breaks for businesses–including engineering firms and construction contractors–and an expanded child tax credit has cleared an important hurdle with House approval of the package.