House Passes SPEED Act to Fast-Track Energy Projects as Senate Eyes Rewrite Amid Offshore Wind Clash and AI Power Crunch
WASHINGTON, Dec. 18, 2025 — The U.S. House on Thursday approved sweeping permitting legislation aimed at speeding federal reviews for major energy and infrastructure projects, sending a high-stakes overhaul of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) to the Senate — where both parties are already signaling major changes. AP News+2Axios+2 The bill, the Standardizing Permitting and Expediting Economic Development Act — better known as the SPEED Act — passed 221–196, with 11 Democrats joining Republicans and one Republican voting no, as lawmakers try to respond to soaring demand for new power generation, transmission, factories, data centers and other large projects.