Efforts to fight climate change, conserve nature and build clean energy have long unfolded on competing tracks. Now, they're colliding — and exposing tough trade-offs for environmentalists.

Why it matters: Congress' sweeping permitting debate is forcing those competing priorities into the same conversation, with major consequences for climate action and conservation.

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.…