By Kim Riley
Daily Energy Insider on October 21, 2025
U.S. Senate committee members on Tuesday approved a bipartisan bill supported by electric utilities that would streamline the process for vegetation management near power lines, helping to reduce wildfire risks and infrastructure damage.
The U.S. Senate Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry Committee voted 18-5 to advance the Fix Our Forests Act, S. 1462, which now heads to the full chamber for consideration.
“Wildfires are a national challenge that require national solutions, and this legislation represents a critical step forward in reducing wildfire risks and safeguarding communities,” said Drew Maloney, president and CEO of the Edison Electric Institute (EEI), which represents all of the nation’s investor-owned electric companies. “We urge senators to act quickly to pass this bill, work with the House, and ultimately deliver the Fix Our Forests Act to the president’s desk.”
Specifically, S. 1462 would improve forest management activities on National Forest System land, public land under the jurisdiction of the Bureau of Land Management, and tribal land to return resilience to overgrown, fire-prone forested land, according to the bill’s text.
Key highlights of the bill include expediting environmental reviews for forest management projects, allowing utilities to remove hazardous trees more easily, and reducing the potential for litigation associated with these activities.
“This bipartisan legislation is critical for improving our nation’s overall wildfire preparedness and ensuring that communities have the resources they need to protect themselves from the threat of wildfires,” Partners in Wildfire Prevention said in a statement issued ahead of the committee’s vote. ….
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