In September 2026, a group of Senators introduced the Bipartisan American Affordability and Jobs Act, a package of permitting reform measures that would meaningfully enable the buildout of more American energy infrastructure. The effort is a recognition that bottlenecks and inefficiencies in the siting and permitting process are slowing down deployment and inflating the cost of critical energy projects. The legislation would establish new permitting deadlines, reform judicial review procedures, and improve the ability to deploy utility-scale energy projects across our footprint in the Desert Southwest. Avantus is supportive of policy changes that will allow smart, community-supported projects to advance more quickly and deliver local economic benefits, including energy reliability and affordability.

In response, Cliff Graham, CEO of Avantus, issued the following statement:

America needs consistent, common-sense policy to build the energy projects that power our nation’s economy. Today, bottlenecks and inefficiencies are slowing down projects and inflating energy costs. Federal leaders have a major opportunity to reform and improve the way we build energy infrastructure in America and to enable the delivery of more reliable, affordable energy to households across the country.

For Avantus, smarter permitting means we’ll put thousands of Americans to work sooner, build projects faster, and deliver electricity for cheaper. As we continue to work in close partnership with communities across the Desert Southwest to responsibly develop new energy projects, improved permitting processes will deliver real local benefits, more quickly, to schools, public services, and local infrastructure.

Bipartisan leaders in Congress, alongside the Trump Administration, have proposed a strong and fair set of reforms that will give developers the confidence and certainty we need to build more American energy. We commend them for their leadership and encourage timely consideration and passage of this legislation.