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Senate permitting bill unveiled Sept. 30; analysis projects about $7 billion in delivery-cost savings by 2035

A bipartisan Senate energy permitting bill unveiled September 30 would require faster transmission planning and permitting. An analysis commissioned by the Center for Climate and Energy Solutions estimates it could cut electricity delivery costs by about $7 billion by 2035 in four grid regions, net of $1.9 billion in new transmission investment. It is a modeled projection for a bill that has not passed.

By Greener Numbers Editorial Team · Published October 1, 2026 · Updated 10/1/2026

Canary Media reported on September 30, 2026, that the bipartisan Senate energy permitting bill unveiled that Wednesday includes transmission provisions that would order regional grid operators and utilities to streamline how power lines are planned and permitted, require advanced transmission technologies, and strengthen state and federal oversight of local transmission planning.

An analysis commissioned by the Center for Climate and Energy Solutions and conducted by Greenline Insights modeled the bill's reforms in four major grid regions that serve more than half the country. It found that by 2035 the reforms could enable a grid buildout that cuts the cost of delivering electricity by roughly $7 billion compared with a business-as-usual scenario. That is a net savings after accounting for $1.9 billion in new transmission investment, and it could reduce residential electricity bills by about $1.1 billion.

The modeling also indicated the reforms could enable almost 100 gigawatts more wind, solar and battery storage, and nearly 40 GW of added interregional transmission capacity.

These figures are modeled projections from a commissioned analysis, not results. The bill has not been enacted, and Canary Media notes it is unclear how the package will fare in the Senate. This brief reports the analysis as described by Canary Media; it did not review the underlying model.

Official source: Canary Media ↗