Senate advances bipartisan bill to speed permit reviews for energy and infrastructure projects

Summary

On Monday the Senate voted 73-25 to formally take up bipartisan legislation aimed at speeding up permitting reviews for datacenters and other infrastructure projects, including fossil fuel pipelines and transmission lines that would add clean energy to the grid. The bill, known as the Bipartisan American Affordability and Jobs Act (Baaja), is a measure that senators and the president have pushed as a way to meet growing electricity demand, since energy projects now face years-long delays in reaching the grid. The vote came in the first major action since last week's election, which the Guardian says soundly repudiated Donald Trump and congressional Republicans. Key environmental groups oppose the bill over fears it could spur datacenters and ICE jails, and the Guardian reports that it would roll back environmental and social protections to speed projects. Climate advocates are described as torn over the measure.

Timeline

1. The Guardian

   10 Nov 2026, 01:03 UTCSource ↗

   The Guardian reports that the Senate voted 73-25 on Monday to formally take up bipartisan legislation to speed permit reviews for datacenters and other infrastructure, which it calls the first major Senate action since last week's election.

2. The Guardian

   10 Nov 2026, 02:28 UTCSource ↗

   The Guardian reports that the Senate voted 73-25 on Monday to advance the bipartisan Baaja bill, which would make it easier to build infrastructure from fossil fuel pipelines to transmission lines, and that key environmental groups oppose it while climate advocates are torn.