300+ Solar and Storage Firms Tell Congress: Pass Permitting Reform Now

More than 300 solar and storage companies put their names on a letter to congressional leaders demanding quick passage of the Bipartisan American Affordability and Jobs Act, S. 5653. The signatories want lawmakers to send the bill to the President's desk without delay, arguing that creaky federal permitting and grid infrastructure bottlenecks are holding up energy projects and inflating electricity bills.

The group brought receipts. Solar and storage accounted for 70% of new electricity capacity added to the grid so far in 2026, according to the letter, while $120 billion in clean energy investment sits stuck in permitting delays. SEIA CEO Tim Pawlenty framed it bluntly: “You can't lower energy costs if you can't build the energy projects, and these companies know that this bipartisan legislation will help get America building again.”

BAAJA would overhaul federal permitting by guaranteeing fair treatment across all technologies, shielding lawfully issued permits from politically motivated holdups, and setting predictable timelines for federal reviews and court proceedings. It also modernizes transmission planning and widens distributed energy resources' access to wholesale electricity markets.

Fresh SEIA analysis sizes up the payoff. The group says the bill could unlock 167 gigawatts of additional solar capacity between 2028 and 2035, pushing solar past 18% of U.S. electricity generation by 2035. The same analysis projects roughly a 20% drop in cumulative power sector CO2 emissions and $54 billion in avoided public health damages.

The push lands after midterm voters made clear that lowering energy costs ranks among their top concerns. SEIA, founded in 1974, represents 1,200 member companies and has been lobbying for solar-friendly market rules for decades.