Support bipartisan permitting reform legislation in Congress
Ask your senators to vote for the Bipartisan American Affordability and Jobs Act
The rundown: What you should know about the BAAJA
Just like you need a building permit to expand your home, big energy projects must get written approval from local, state, and/or federal authorities to start construction. However, outdated permitting laws have made it difficult to construct new energy projects. About 90% of the projects stuck in the permitting queue are clean energy projects. The BAAJA will reform outdated permitting laws, allowing America to unleash our clean energy potential.
Why has CCL endorsed the BAAJA?
1. Strong on policy
This bill is incredibly strong on many of the specific policy provisions we have worked hard on for four years. It will streamline the procedures needed to review energy projects and improving agency coordination, add to America’s transmission capacity, and provides the certainty that clean energy developers need to plan and move forward on their projects with confidence. Specifically, it offers strong protections for projects that have already been permitted. No presidential administration or federal agency can interrupt an already-permitting project on a whim.
2. Reduces emissions
Trusted modelers are hard at work right now to estimate the emissions reductions based on the complete bill text, but preliminary estimates are encouraging that this package will substantially reduce America’s emissions. These emissions reductions will be driven by the vast amount of clean energy deployment. As a bonus, all that additional, affordable clean energy coming online will also lead to lower electricity costs.
3. Bipartisan
This bill was developed through a collaborative bipartisan process, which CCL views as a strength of this legislation. This bill does not reflect the exclusive priorities of one political party or another — it’s a compromise. We understand why some people and organizations are hesitant about some of the elements of the bill that were necessary to reach that compromise. We also believe the bill’s bipartisanship makes it durable. Its durability means we can maximize its long-term climate benefits, no matter how political winds shift.
Frequently Asked Questions
What’s happening with permitting reform in Congress?
In late September 2026, full text of the Bipartisan American Affordability and Jobs Act was released. This legislation is the comprehensive, bipartisan bill CCLers have been asking Congress for for years. Now that the bill is here, our Research and Government Affairs teams are working to educate volunteers on its contents before leading a massive mobilization push to get the BAAJA passed in Senate and ultimately signed into law.
Who introduced this bill?
The effort to develop this bill has been led by a bipartisan group of senators: Sens. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Martin Heinrich (D-NM), Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), Mike Lee (R-UT) and their staff.
Why do we need clean energy permitting reform?
A slow permitting process is creating a bottleneck that’s slowing down the deployment of key technologies like electrical transmission lines, and thus clean energy projects like solar and wind farms that need those transmission lines to connect to the power grid. Clean energy permitting reform is crucial to loosen that bottleneck, bring more clean energy online sooner, and cut climate pollution as fast as possible.
How did CCLers help get us to this point in the permitting reform process?
Citizens’ Climate Lobby has supported permitting reform since 2022, with grassroots volunteers and Government Affairs staff working in partnership to build support in local communities and on Capitol Hill.
Just this summer, more than 750 CCL volunteers were on Capitol Hill for 431 meetings with congressional offices focused on this topic. Earlier in 2026, CCL’s grassroots volunteers went deep on the nuances permitting reform through an in-depth training series.
In addition to lobbying on this issue since 2022, CCL volunteers have also used op-eds, letters to the editor, and community outreach events to educate their communities about the need for permitting reform and the huge opportunities it offers to reduce America’s emissions. Their efforts have revealed a nationwide appetite for permitting changes that not only reduce emissions but improve energy affordability and support job growth.
Furthering these grassroots efforts, CCL’s Government Affairs staff has been in close communication with Environment and Public Works and Energy and Natural Resources Committee staff on both sides of the aisle throughout the negotiations around permitting reform legislation.
Will permitting reform increase fossil fuel production?
Most of the new infrastructure proposed in the U.S. is now for clean energy. Reports from Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory found that in 2021, 85% of new energy capacity was clean energy. More than 97% of new energy projects currently awaiting permits are clean energy, and just 3% are natural gas. In each of the past three years, 84% of new energy capacity built in the United States was clean energy.
Should I customize my message to Congress?
Absolutely! Your voice matters—make it count! Adding a personal touch to your email grabs attention and makes your message harder to ignore.
How else can I help?
Share this page with any friends, family, and coworkers who want to help reduce America’s climate pollution!
Who is Citizens’ Climate Lobby?
Citizens’ Climate Lobby (CCL) is a nonprofit, nonpartisan grassroots advocacy climate change organization that exists to create the political will for climate change solutions by enabling individual breakthroughs in the exercise of personal and political power.
Our consistently respectful, nonpartisan approach to climate education is designed to create a broad, sustainable foundation for climate action across all geographic regions and political inclinations.
CCL empowers everyday people to work with their community and their members of Congress. Our supporters cover the political spectrum and work in more than 450 local chapters. Together, we’re building support for a national bipartisan solution to climate change.
