Support Bipartisan Permitting Reform for Clean Energy

America’s clean-energy transition is being slowed by an outdated permitting process. Solar and wind are the lowest-cost sources of new electricity generation, but new energy projects and the transmission lines needed to connect them to the grid can take many years to approve and build.

Transmission lines are the highways of our electric system. They move electricity from where it is generated to where homes and businesses need it. Much of the Midwest’s renewable energy potential is located far from major population centers. When transmission capacity is limited, that low-cost clean energy cannot always reach the communities that could benefit from it.

Faster, responsible permitting can help lower energy costs, strengthen reliability, create jobs, and accelerate the clean-energy transition needed to address climate change. For communities like Naperville, improved transmission connections could provide better access to affordable renewable electricity generated across the Midwest, including in states with abundant wind resources such as Iowa.

The Bipartisan American Affordability and Jobs Act (BAAJA) would establish clearer timelines for federal reviews, streamline permitting and transmission planning processes, and provide greater certainty for energy infrastructure projects while retaining environmental safeguards and opportunities for public participation.

What the Research Shows

Recent modeling suggests that permitting reforms included in BAAJA could significantly expand the nation’s transmission network, making it easier to move electricity between regions. Researchers project that expanded transmission capacity would help bring more clean energy online, reduce electricity-system costs, improve reliability, and lower carbon emissions.

If you support responsible, bipartisan permitting reform, please consider contacting your federal representatives and asking them to support the Bipartisan American Affordability and Jobs Act.

• Bill Foster: Email Representative Foster
• Lauren Underwood: Email Representative Underwood
• Dick Durbin: Email Senator Durbin
• Tammy Duckworth: Email Senator Duckworth