Weekly Briefing: Major bipartisan permitting package introduced in the Senate

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Sept. 30, 2026

After years of mobilization, training, lobby meetings, local media, and more, we’ve reached a major milestone today: A bipartisan group of Senators has introduced a comprehensive bipartisan permitting reform package.

The effort to develop this bill, named the Bipartisan American Affordability and Jobs Act of 2026, has been led by Sens. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Martin Heinrich (D-NM), Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), Mike Lee (R-UT) and their staff. 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 this process.

CCL has lobbied for permitting reform since 2022, with our grassroots volunteers and Government Affairs staff working in partnership to build support in local communities and on Capitol Hill.

“Our volunteers have been so persistent on this issue, consistently working to build local support for permitting reform and show that support to their Members of Congress,” said Brett Cease, CCL’s VP of Field Operations, in a statement today.

Federal permitting reform is vital to loosen the bottleneck slowing down new energy projects — around 90% of which are clean energy — from being built and connected to the grid.

“We’re digging into the bill text now to compare it with available modeling and understand what it will mean for clean energy deployment, transmission buildout, and reducing emissions,” said Jennifer Tyler, CCL’s VP of Government Affairs.

This is a huge milestone in our advocacy for permitting reform, and we’ll be sharing more guidance soon about our position on the bill and what next steps our advocacy will take.

In the meantime, read and share CCL's official statement on the bill release via Facebook.

Read and share CCL's statement

Take action this week

If you have a little time: RSVP to CCL’s next Town Hall. Join us Wednesday, Oct. 14 at 8 p.m. ET/ 5 p.m. PT for our CCL’s next Town Hall with CCL Executive Director Ricky Bradley. Attendees will hear organizational updates from leadership, followed by time for audience questions. All are welcome, especially CCL supporters just starting their CCL journey, or finding their role! Submit your questions ahead of time to conference.inbox@citizensclimate.org.

If you have more time: Attend part 2 of our Carbon Pricing Education Series. The series continues tomorrow, Oct. 1, starting at 8 p.m. ET/ 5 p.m. PT. This second session will cover some recent research from series partner Resources for the Future on the carbon pricing/affordability nexus, including research that shows how carbon price revenues can actually improve affordability. Attendance is free and the event is open to the public. Catch up on part 1, then RSVP for part 2.

Featured: Illinois State Conference, Oct. 17-18

CCL only gathers for our national conference once each year. But state conferences are an excellent way to meet local CCLers and recreate that conference magic outside of D.C. This year, Illinois is planning a two-day event Oct. 17-18 at Lewis University in Romeoville, IL.

"From the moment the seed of the idea for a state conference was planted in our brains, we wanted to build something unique to our volunteers here in Illinois,” explained Illinois State Coordinator Alex Marianyi. “We wanted to focus on building relationships — with our members of Congress, with our communities, and most importantly, with each other.”

With that in mind, the team got to work planning a two-day event with a stacked agenda. Conference attendees will be treated to sessions like “Moral Foundations Goes to the Movies” and “The Local Impacts of Climate Change” featuring a local meteorologist.

“We've got three simultaneous breakouts on day 2 that are all art-focused,” said Alex. “‘Climate Collage & Card Making,’ ‘Your Guide to Writing Climate Fiction,’ and ‘Climate Improv.’ One of our programming team members said he was excited because having to choose one of three art-focused breakouts was definitely going to push him outside of his comfort zone.”

The speaker lineup also includes familiar CCL faces, including VP of Field Operations Brett Cease and Executive Director Ricky Bradley!

All are welcome to attend this year’s State Conference, whether or not they are a CCL volunteer. Out of state folks are welcome, too, with CCLers from the nearby states of Wisconsin, Indiana, Michigan and Ohio already invited! The deadline to register is Oct. 16, and discounted tickets are available for students.

View the full agenda and register for the Illinois State Conference here.

Inclusion Conference recordings

Recordings from this year’s Inclusion Conference, presented by the People of the Global Majority Action Team, are available on CCL’s YouTube channel.

Solidarity in Practice: Bridging Divides Through Real Conversations, featuring The Honorable Ruth Cross Kwansing - Drawing from the lived reality of Kiribati on the frontlines of climate change, Hon. Ruth Cross Kwansing shares Pacific wisdom on unity, resilience, and meaningful dialogue. This address explores what solidarity looks like in practice: centering voices furthest from power, staying at the table across divides, and turning dialogue into tangible action. Watch the recording.

Sunlight as Common Ground: Building Energy Solidarity Across Borders, featuring Arturo Massol-Deyá - From a mountain town in Puerto Rico, Casa Pueblo’s community-led energy transition shows how shared infrastructure, interconnected solar microgrids, forests, and water can turn conflict and crisis into living well together. Watch the recording.

Diversity: Gift, Invitation and Challenge, featuring Caroljean Willie, SC, Ph.D. - This presentation highlights the gift that diversity is, but also the invitation to embrace it, and the challenges that need to be addressed. Many of the concepts “Sister CJ” discusses will sound familiar to CCLers who have taken our BRIDGE training! Watch the recording.

To see other events and CCL trainings, visit the Live Events Calendar on CCL Community.

Posted by Elissa Tennant on Sep 30, 2026 5:15 PM America/Los_Angeles