The U.S. Senate moved the needle forward Nov. 9 on a bipartisan permitting reform bill by moving to advance the measure by a mostly bipartisan 73-25 vote.

The procedural action advances the Bipartisan American Affordability and Jobs Act (BAAJA) toward a full Senate vote on the bill itself later this month, bringing the measure one step closer to becoming law. President Donald Trump said Nov. 8 that he would sign the bill if it reached his desk. But the measure must first clear the House of Representatives, where some Democrats have said they will oppose it, and questions remain as to whether enough lawmakers who lost their re-election bids in the recent midterm elections will return for the bill to garner enough votes to pass the chamber.

The legislation would shorten the timeline for National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) reviews of energy infrastructure as well as the period in which legal challenges can be filed against new projects, and would also require data center developers to pay for the costs…