# Permitting Bill Will Call Democrats’ Affordability Bluff, Energy Leaders Say

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/permitting-bill-will-call-democrats-affordability-bluff-energy-leaders-say/
- Published: 2026-11-10T19:17:40+00:00
- Original publisher: The Daily Caller (publisher lean: Right)
- Original article: https://dailycaller.com/2026/11/10/permitting-bill-speed-act-christopher-johnson-conner-brace-will-upton
- Topics: Politics

## Key points

- A bipartisan permitting bill advanced to the Senate.
- It would make large data centres pay for grid upgrades.
- Energy leaders called it a test of Democrats’ affordability pledges.

## Summary

The Senate advanced the bipartisan American Affordability and Jobs Act on Monday, giving lawmakers a chance to decide whether to support permitting reform and rules requiring large data centres to cover their grid-upgrade costs. At a Washington event on Tuesday, energy industry leaders said the bill would test Democrats’ commitment to lowering energy costs after campaigning on affordability.

Christopher Johnson of the American Energy Leadership Institute and Conner Brace of Boundary Stone Partners argued that slow federal approvals are holding back power plants, pipelines and other infrastructure. The bill would shield ratepayers from grid costs linked to large data centres; the House passed the SPEED Act in December 2025 to speed environmental reviews. The speakers said the current lame-duck session may be Republicans’ last chance to pass permitting reform while they control both chambers.

## Coverage

- [The Daily Caller: Permitting Bill Will Call Democrats’ Affordability Bluff, Energy Leaders Say](https://dailycaller.com/2026/11/10/permitting-bill-speed-act-christopher-johnson-conner-brace-will-upton)
- [Reason: Senate Advances Bipartisan Permitting Bill That Could Unleash Energy Development With Major Caveats](https://reason.com/2026/11/10/senate-advances-bipartisan-permitting-bill-that-could-unleash-energy-development-with-major-caveats/)

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Summarised by TalkFuse (https://talkfuse.com/). Quote the original publisher for the reporting and link this page for the summary and discussion.