Environmentalists and climate advocates are split on proposed clean energy law

Clean energy projects across the country could get a boost from a measure being debated in the U.S. Senate, a long-held priority of environmentalists alarmed by global warming. But another wing of the green movement, including in Minnesota, worries the legislation could strip environmental protection laws and weaken the input of tribal nations. “They’ve buried a small piece of good work in an absolute dung heap of bad policy,” said Paula Maccabee, executive director of the group WaterLegacy. The Bipartisan American Affordability And Jobs Act of 2026 passed a key procedural vote on Monday night. It would speed wind and solar projects, and compel data center developers to pay for upgrades to the electrical grid. The bill includes provisions that would streamline some oil and gas permits, and allow mines to store waste rock and tailings on federal lands. Advertisement Debate over the legislation has exposed a rift between groups that use laws such as the Clean Water Act to file lawsuits to stop potentially polluting projects, and climate advocates who say there is no time to wait to start deploying technologies that will reduce the planet-warming gases being released into the atmosphere. Electric transmission in particular has been a major concern for groups like Citizens’ Climate Lobby (CCL), which works to influence federal law to support a transition away from carbon-intensive energy. The bill would strengthen the feds’ ability to approve new transmission lines. “America has the potential to produce a lot of clean energy, but we need to be able to get that energy efficiently to where it’s needed,” said Flannery Winchester, of CCL. While President Donald Trump has so far indicated he would sign the bill, he has also sent conflicting messages about some provisions of it, telling reporters in a briefing Monday that he would not approve new wind turbines.