Senate Near Permitting Reform Deal Amid Data Center Backlash — SkimNews
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- Bipartisan senators say they're closer than ever to a permitting reform bill that would ease energy project construction, with the top members of both parties on the Senate's two energy committees now negotiating the language.
- Surging electricity demand — driven by data centers, heat pumps, EVs, and reshored manufacturing — has given the new push more momentum than the failed Energy Permitting Reform Act of 2024, which made it out of committee but never received a full Senate vote.
- Solar power and batteries account for almost 80% of new generation expected to be built in the U.S. in 2026, while natural gas was the largest single electricity source in 2025 and is the go-to fuel for new data centers.
- President Trump signaled he would stop blocking renewable projects to entice Democrats, but Senator Sheldon Whitehouse told reporters the party still needs clarity on what 'return to regular order' for wind and solar looks like in practice.
- Pollster Alex Lundry of Redbud Consulting found data centers are a 'toxic' subject for voters, with 71% of respondents backing more renewable energy and 70% saying their energy bills have gone up in the last year.
- The House passed a separate bill calling on states (but not requiring them) to force data centers to pay for their own electricity generation; that bill is now stalled in the Senate.
- Politico reported that senators intend to finalize the permitting deal after the midterm elections, when it could compete with other legislation for attention, especially if Republicans lose control of Congress.
Why it matters: Solar and gas builders stand to gain most from a deal — together representing nearly all projected new U.S. generation through 2026. But with 70% of voters reporting higher energy bills and senators aiming to finalize after midterms, the bill's political framing may decide whether it ever becomes law.
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