The House GOP rolled out a sprawling permitting package aimed at cutting red tape, lowering energy costs, and boosting grid reliability to power industrial growth and AI expansion. The 96-page Permitting Our Way to an Energy Resurgence Act, presented as a “discussion draft,” bundles nearly two dozen Republican fixes to speed approvals and protect consumers. Lawmakers hope the plan forces big projects to pay their own way and keeps dispatchable power online as demand surges.
The POWER Act is a wide-ranging effort to streamline approvals for pipelines, transmission lines, power plants, and manufacturing projects that often stall under federal bureaucracy. Republicans framed it as pro-growth common sense that removes needless delays and encourages onshore investment. The package is pitched as a practical response to rising electricity needs tied to new industries.
At its core the bill forces major commercial users to shoulder infrastructure upgrade costs so everyday ratepayers do not get stuck with higher utility bills. That shift would require large facilities, like data centers, to front the expenses for new lines and upgrades rather than passing them to families. Proponents argue this protects consumers and keeps electric bills stable as demand climbs.
The legislation also reorders interconnection priorities to favor dispatchable power over intermittent sources in queue systems, and it expands federal regulators’ authority to keep essential plants operating. Those moves are designed to shore up reliability as more intermittent generation comes online. Parts of the Clean Air Act would be revised to align environmental rules with grid stability needs.
“To win the race to AI dominance, onshore jobs, and deliver reliable and affordable power for families, America needs a permitting system that works for their communities,” Guthrie said in a statement obtained by Fox News Digital. “The POWER Act cuts the red tape holding back American energy, protects hard-working families from higher electricity costs, and keeps the lights on for generations to come,” he continued. Republicans presented the package as the product of months of committee collaboration.
One notable measure from Rep. Troy Balderson checks federal agencies by requiring major electricity-related actions to be reviewed by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. The intent is to ensure environmental rules do not unintentionally undermine reliability across the grid. GOP supporters say this gives FERC a backstop role when agency moves could threaten power supply.
Rep. Gabe Evans authored a key provision demanding that large commercial electricity users pay the full cost of hookup and upgrades before projects move forward. That approach mirrors the ratepayer protection pledge pushed by the Trump administration and aims to stop corporations from shifting infrastructure costs onto households. The provision passed committee with bipartisan support as a standalone measure.
“America must build the energy infrastructure necessary to win the global AI race and outcompete adversaries like Communist China — but hardworking families should never be forced to subsidize that growth through higher electric bills,” Evans said Wednesday after the measure advanced out of committee with bipartisan support as a standalone bill. His pitch tied energy policy directly to national competitiveness and worker interests. Republicans are emphasizing both economic and security angles.
The package also resurrects long-standing GOP priorities like the FIRE Act, which would protect state wildfire prevention efforts from certain Clean Air Act penalties. Supporters argue that allowing prescribed burns and brush clearing without federal penalties is practical forest management. That point grew louder after cross-border wildfire smoke disrupted large swaths of the country over the weekend.
Timing is tight. House leaders face fewer than two dozen legislative days before the midterm elections, and it is unclear whether Guthrie’s package will reach the floor. Negotiations with Democrats and industry stakeholders are ongoing, and GOP members are pressing for a clear vote on reforms that, in their view, will keep power affordable and secure. The coming weeks will show whether the party can turn the draft into law or at least shape the permitting debate ahead of November.
