Permit a Win: Dems/Repubs Announce Bipartisan Permitting Reform Bill
By Senate Environment and Energy chairs Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) and Mike Lee (R-Utah), along with ranking members Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.) and Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), today unveiled the Bipartisan American Affordability and Jobs Act of 2026 after months of talks. The bill would shorten NEPA reviews and lawsuits, speed transmission siting, protect already-approved energy projects from political revocation, and require data centers to cover their own grid-upgrade costs. Lawmakers say they hope to vote in the lame-duck session after the midterms.