Statement: Senate to hold initial vote on permitting bill

WASHINGTON, NOVEMBER 9, 2026 - The U.S. Senate is poised to hold its first vote on a permitting bill that will have profound impacts on America's power grids and environment. The procedural vote on the Bipartisan American Affordability and Jobs Act (BAAJA) is scheduled for tonight.

"The permitting package would help get new power lines built faster, which means more reliable, affordable power for communities. The latest version has important reforms to get clean energy on the grid and upgrade our aging infrastructure, but it also unwinds protections for our air, water and communities," said Environmental Defense Fund president Fred Krupp. "We remain committed to making meaningful improvements to this complex legislation, and it is worth the hard work of doing so without further delay. A positive vote in the Senate today will allow the process to move forward to see if this work is possible."