Why federal permitting reform is a generational opportunity for energy | Factor This Policycast

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A long-awaited piece of legislation, now before the Senate, is being billed as a "generational opportunity" to improve how the United States builds large-scale energy infrastructure. The Bipartisan American Affordability and Jobs Act of 2026, or BAAJA, has been in the works for more than a year. Its spiritual predecessors have haunted halls on Capitol Hill for far longer.

BAAJA promises to accelerate generation and transmission development while making the electricity grid cleaner and more reliable. The legislation mandates regional and interregional planning and requires joint cost allocation. It forces utilities to deploy cost-effective advanced transmission technologies and streamlines permitting reviews for renewables. It protects ratepayers from data center grid upgrade costs, makes it easier for batteries to participate in wholesale markets, and so much more.

By establishing a more predictable path to construction, the American Clean Power Association estimates BAAJA will inspire more than $800 billion in new energy infrastructure, including 350+ gigawatts (GW) of clean generation, and increase access to lower-cost, local energy.

That all sounds lovely, but the devil is in the details, ain't it? We dive headfirst into BAAJA on this episode of the Factor This Policycast, presented in partnership with the national industry association Advanced Energy United.

Can this much-ballyhooed bill really deliver its promised benefits? And equally important: can it pass both the Senate and the House? Host Paul Gerke of Factor This welcomes special guests Liza Reed, vice president of policy and director for climate and energy at the Niskanen Center, the nonpartisan think tank, and Dylan Reed, managing director of political affairs at Advanced Energy United, to tackle those questions and more.

Energy policy on your mind? Check out all episodes of the Factor This Policycast