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CLEAN ENERGY INSIDER
October 1, 2026

Dear Friends and Colleagues,

This September has been a busy and exciting time for clean energy across the country, with some of the most consequential action happening this week in the Senate. Sens. Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), Mike Lee (R-Utah), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.) and Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), leading the Environment and Public Works Committee and the Energy and Natural Resources Committee, have introduced the Bipartisan American Affordability and Jobs Act ([link removed]) , legislation aimed at addressing America’s long-standing permitting challenges.

This legislation represents an important step toward giving developers the certainty they need to upgrade existing energy infrastructure and move new projects forward, delivering more reliable, affordable, and cleaner energy to ratepayers and businesses across the country. It also takes aim at an outdated and overwhelmed judicial process, helping to unlock investment, address backlogs and create a more predictable pathway for developing new energy projects while maintaining strong protections for our natural environment.

Permitting reform has been at the center of conversations everywhere from our 10th Annual National Clean Energy Week ([link removed]) (NCEW) here in Washington to Climate Week ([link removed]) in New York. Speakers at both events emphasized the same important message: This is not about supporting one technology over another but whether we can add new electrons to the grid quickly enough to meet growing demand. We need to build faster by removing barriers to investment and creating conditions for every available resource to contribute. Policymakers, investors and industry leaders know the only way to do this is through permitting reform that gives developers predictability, investors confidence and the energy sector the durable policies needed to withstand the pendulum swings of any single Congress or administration.

This legislation represents a monumental and long-awaited opportunity for the energy industry. Like so many others across the country, I look forward to seeing the Senate move this legislation with strong bipartisan support and deliver the certainty needed to meet America’s growing energy demand.

Thank you for your partnership and commitment to America’s clean, reliable energy future. We are excited to continue this work together.

Lastly, our team extends a very special thank you to the policymakers, industry experts and our incredible sponsors who joined us during NCEW. We couldn’t have done it without you. You can read more about our 10th annual celebration here ([link removed]) .

Ryan McManus
Director of Government Relations
Citizens for Responsible Energy Solutions

WHAT CRES IS HEARING

“For far too long, our broken and outdated federal environment review and permitting processes have stood in the way of energy reliability, secure jobs, modern infrastructure and economic growth. The bipartisan reforms we secured in this deal will transform our nation's ability to power our economy and fuel future growth, while continuing to protect the land, water and wildlife we cherish. I look forward to working with all our colleagues in the Senate and the House, and President Trump to get this essential legislation signed into law so we can build the infrastructure America needs to grow and thrive.” — Sen. Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) said in a statement ([link removed]) .
"We once built projects like the Hoover Dam, the Golden Gate Bridge and the Empire State Building in years not decades. America still has the resources and the talent, but what too often stands in the way is a permitting system that takes too long and costs too much. After years of work in Congress and many months of negotiations, I'm proud we've reached a bipartisan agreement to fix this broken process and get America back to building" — Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah) said in a statement ([link removed]) .
“If we miss the fact that what actually people need is predictability, consistency and reliability, it doesn’t matter what we do with permitting reform. If a president can cancel a project after it’s been permitted and after billions of dollars have been spent on it...the market is not going to bring the money to invest. What the market needs is predictability.” — Sen. John Curtis (R-Utah) said at NCEW ([link removed]) .
WHAT CRES IS DOING

CRES Forum Attends New York Climate Week
Following National Clean Energy Week, CRES Forum Founding President and Board Chair James Dozier joined the External Relations team in New York for Climate Week. He sat down with Nico Lauricella, editor-in-chief of Heatmap News ([link removed]) , for a fireside chat on what comes next for energy policy, on a program that also featured Energy Secretary Chris Wright. James then joined Chris Barnard of the American Conservation Coalition ([link removed]) on a panel titled, “Policy and Power: Finding the Way Forward in the Current Political Landscape,” moderated by POLITICO’s Debra Kahn at Builder Vision’s ([link removed]) Markets in Motion.

CRES Recognizes 2026 Clean Energy Champions
On Wednesday, September 16, during National Clean Energy Week, CRES honored four members of Congress and select Hill staffers for advancing pragmatic, all-of-the-above energy policies: Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine), Sen. Dave McCormick (R-Pa.), Rep. Celeste Maloy (R-Utah) and Rep. Gabe Evans (R-Colo.). Each has advanced significant energy legislation this Congress, from geothermal permitting to ratepayer protection to grid modernization.

VIP Dinner and Reception at the Mellon Auditorium
National Clean Energy Week closed with a VIP Reception and Dinner at the Mellon Auditorium featuring remarks from Gov. Jared Polis (D-Colo.) as well as an armchair discussion with Sen. Alan Armstrong (R-Okla.), moderated by Robin Millican of Columbia University's Center on Global Energy Policy.

WHAT CRES IS WRITING

CRES Congratulates Capito, Lee, Whitehouse, Heinrich on Bipartisan Permitting Reform Legislation ([link removed])
CRES issued a congratulatory statement in support of Sens. Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), Mike Lee (R-Utah), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.) and Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) for their hard work to produce the Bipartisan American Affordability and Jobs Act in efforts to address permitting reform. Read the full press release here ([link removed]) .

CRES Names 2026 Congressional Clean Energy Champions ([link removed])
CRES named Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine), Sen. Dave McCormick (R-Pa.), Rep. Celeste Maloy (R-Utah) and Rep. Gabe Evans (R-Colo.) as the 2026 Clean Energy Champions. Collins chairs the Senate Appropriations Committee and authored the bipartisan Better Energy Storage Technology Act. McCormick chairs the ENR Subcommittee on Energy and has led on grid modernization, hydrogen and nuclear policy. Maloy, chairwoman of the Congressional Western Caucus, authored the Geothermal Energy Opportunity Act and the Geothermal Tax Parity Act. Evans, one of the first freshmen appointed to House Energy and Commerce in 14 years, backed the SPEED Act and the Fix Our Forests Act. Read the full press release here ([link removed]) .

Citizens for Responsible Energy Solutions Announces Second Round of Congressional Endorsements for the 2026 Election Cycle ([link removed])
CRES released its second round of 2026 congressional endorsements, backing seven Republican Members of Congress: Sen. Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) and Sen. Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska), and Reps. Nick Begich (R-Alaska), Brett Guthrie (R-Ky.), Richard Hudson (R-N.C.) and Bruce Westerman (R-Ark.) Their records reflect support for policies that expand domestic production, modernize the permitting process, strengthen critical mineral supply chains and encourage innovation across the energy sector, from nuclear and natural gas to renewables, battery storage, clean hydrogen and more. Read the full press release here ([link removed]) .

CRESponsible Leader: Sen. Susan Collins ([link removed])
CRES named Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) CRESponsible Leader of the Month for September, recognizing her bipartisan work advancing energy innovation, security and competitiveness. As Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, she shapes the federal investments behind domestic manufacturing, grid reliability and next-generation energy. She authored the Better Energy Storage Technology Act, signed into law in 2020, and last month joined Energy Secretary Chris Wright in Lincoln, Maine, to visit the future site of a Form Energy long-duration storage facility, the first of its kind in New England. She is a strong advocate for protecting American families and small businesses from rising electricity costs and supports the Ratepayer Protection Act in the Senate. Her work reflects the kind of sustained leadership that brings together innovation, affordability and reliability to help build a stronger American energy future. Read the full blog here
([link removed]) .

WHAT CRES IS READING

Senate unveils deal to cut permitting red tape to boost energy projects ([link removed]) – Washington Examiner

US senators hit deal on energy project permitting bill, vote seen after November ([link removed]) – Reuters

Senate committee leaders announce permitting overhaul deal to spur energy development ([link removed]) – Washington Times

Democrats gear up to tank data center legislation ([link removed]) – POLITICO

Your Electric Bill Is a Permitting Problem ([link removed]) – RealClearEnergy

At National Clean Energy Week, the Conversation Turned to How America Builds ([link removed]) – The Business Download

Climate Week En Review: Having A Moment ([link removed]) – republicEn

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