The Senate is set to vote on November 9 on the Bipartisan American Affordability and Jobs Act (BAAJA), a 417-page permitting reform bill, according to MIT Technology Review. The bill aims to speed up approvals for energy projects by narrowing which projects need federal permits and setting deadlines for reviews. It is technology neutral and covers both fossil fuel and renewable projects. The bill has four Senate sponsors, two Republicans and two Democrats.
The White House backs the bill. Its Council of Economic Advisors found the bill would reduce review times and boost GDP. The American Clean Power Association, a clean energy group, supports it and estimates it could unlock 350 gigawatts of new clean energy for the grid. The Natural Resources Defense Council says the transmission provisions could benefit the grid, but it opposes the narrowing of environmental reviews, which it says could harm public and private lands.
Early emissions estimates differ. The Rhodium Group projects that in the best case the bill would cut economy-wide emissions by 4%, lower annual energy bills by $78 per household, and add 200 gigawatts of clean energy by 2040. In the worst case, emissions would stay about the same. Resources for the Future estimates the bill could cut power-sector emissions 6% by 2041 and save more than $350 billion in system costs by midcentury.
Some concerns center on natural gas. Kevin Kircher, an energy modeler and assistant professor of mechanical engineering at Purdue, says the bill involves a trade-off between clean electricity and fossil fuel growth. His modeling found that if BAAJA had been in place in 2025, energy sector emissions would have been higher than the actual baseline, and air pollution health and mortality risks would have increased.
The outcome of the vote is uncertain. The election results could affect the bill, and Democrats could wait until next year, when they will control both chambers. Any final bill would need President Trump's signature.