As of September 30, 2026, a bipartisan permitting reform bill was introduced in the US Senate to prevent the revocation or suspension of issued federal permits for energy projects, strengthening the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission’s (FERC) siting authority. Permitting reform conversations had previously stalled in Congress in December 2025 when President Donald Trump issued stop work orders against five offshore wind projects. However, a deal was negotiated recently after Trump told Democratic lawmakers that wind and solar energy projects would fare better in the bill. The bill, titled the Bipartisan American Affordability and Jobs Act,by is sponsored by Sen. Whitehouse, Sen. Martin Heinrich, D-N.M., Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, and Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va. It aims to ensure that all federal agencies “treat applications for Federal authorizations or permits fairly and efficiently,” providing applicants with a way to sue the government if permits are improperly denied or unreasonably delayed from disparate treatment based on project type. The legislation has provisions aimed at ensuring resource-neutral permitting and also strengthens FERC by eliminating National Interest Electric Transmission Corridors and expanding its authority to issue “one or more permits for the construction or modification of electric transmission facilities.” The bill eliminates the federal right of first refusal for incumbent utilities, stripping their automatic right to build new regional lines and requires FERC to issue a rule requiring each transmission planning region to file a consolidated interconnection and regional transmission planning process.

[1] https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/28712286-bipartisan-american-affordability-and-jobs-act/?_sp=d2526746-0731-43ab-8856-607debe38a73.1790956531308#document/p1