Yesterday, officials announced a long-awaited permitting reform bill, dubbed the “Bipartisan American Affordability and Jobs Act of 2026.” (Check it out here.)
What’s in it: The bill includes measures to 1) speed up federal approvals for energy projects 2) boost interregional transmission and 3) fast-track generation interconnection. One wonky tidbit: It would ban the federal right of first refusal for regional and interregional transmission projects.
The support: Leaders from across the power industry have applauded the bill, including the SEIA CEO and Grid Strategies president Rob Gramlich, who wrote that it could “expand and de-congest” the US grid. The bill would also offer advanced transmission tech some much-needed support, according to Zach Zimmerman, Executive Director of the AMP Coalition.
The criticism: The Center for Biological Diversity, an environmental advocacy group, was not as keen on it: If the bill becomes law, “the paltry increases in renewable energy will be instantly devoured by AI data centers,” Brett Hartl, the org’s government affairs director, said in a statement. The bill could also weaken key environmental and Tribal protections, the group said.
Thu, Oct 1
Molly Glick
Energy Central Team
NEWS: It actually happened: Senators have landed on a permitting reform deal.
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