🚨 WE HAVE A PERMITTING DEAL🚨
And it is easily the best permitting bill we've ever gotten!
- The Bipartisan American Affordability and Jobs Act is HUGE (400+ pages) and both sides got a LOT.
- The bill is much bigger and better than either Manchin post-IRA in 2022 or Manchin-Barrasso in 2024.
Once I finish reading the text I'll publish an explainer. For now, here are a few high level takeaways.
1. Transmission: The bill is absolutely HUGE for transmission, going further than Manchin-Barrasso. Includes: interregional transmission, limited federal backstop authority, interconnection queue reforms, directives for advanced grid-enhancing tech, and oversight of utilities. It's absolutely AMAZING all of this got in.
2. NEPA: The bill has BIG changes to NEPA, including fixes for judicial review that underpins the law's costs. Still reading but this is even better than I expected!
3. Certainty: The bill includes strong provisions to push back on misuse of permitting, like we're seeing with the admin's abuses against offshore wind.
4. Historic Preservation: The bill includes changes to the NHPA 106 process, including changes to judicial review that will help right-size the process.
5. Clean Water: The bill fixes problems with section 401 by adding new requirements for states and makes section 404 nationwide permits easier to comply with.
6. Geothermal: The bill includes big wins for geothermal, including parity with oil and gas catexs.
7. Mining: The bill fixes the "Rosemont decision"
8. Endangered Species: The bill creates a new path for states to take on endangered species consultation.
9. Hydro: Fixes for certain hydroelectric projects
10. Ratepayer protection: The bill adds protections for ratepayers from added data centers. Looks to be stronger than the House passed bill by quite a bit.
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the singular policy area where this Congress has been passing good legislation
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Three weeks ago, and I wrote a piece for the WSJ outlining the reforms that should be in a permitting deal and the urgency of passage this Congress, especially for Dems. The Bipartisan American Affordability and Jobs Act of 2026 meets the moment.
this is pretty lightweight, but. it’s worth noting that a year ago — the admin was trying to overturn nearly all state ai laws, with no federal ai laws in place.
now, they’re saying it “may make sense” to codify safety practices and independent oversight. that’s a big shift.
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Shelby Talcott
@ShelbyTalcott
Trump shares this accord on Truth Social along with six signatures — unclear if more have signed on: x.com/shelbytalcott/…
one more thought. I was unsure how Yondr pouch distribution would go, especially at the end when everyone was leaving at the same time. And it was just… easy and fast? Credit to the staff but made me much more optimistic phone-free events can be done in a wide range of settings
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Rachel Cohen Booth
@rcobooth
Phoebe Bridgers’ sold out mandatory phone-free arena stadium concert was absolutely amazing. Haven’t felt that kind of collective lock in at a concert in years, maybe ever
we drug test our portfolio founders every month and just had our first failure
they haven't been taking the adderall we give them