Pass Permitting Reform. Unleash American Solar and Storage.

A year ago, the Department of the Interior added new permitting reviews for solar and storage projects built on federal land or needing federal right-of-way approval. Every one of these projects now needs multi-step, Secretary-level sign-off, which is slowing down construction at a time when electricity demand is rising fast. The solar industry group SEIA estimates more than 450 planned projects, representing over a third of new power capacity in the pipeline, are now at risk.

The slowdown has a price tag. A study from the Corporate Energy Buyers Association and NERA found that restricting new solar and wind development could add $81 billion to household electric bills over the next seven years, plus $40 billion more for businesses. Separately, Wood Mackenzie estimates more than $121 billion in planned solar and storage investment is at risk because of the added permitting uncertainty, which also threatens local jobs and tax revenue.

For homeowners, this is less about immediate rebates or upgrades and more about the electric grid you rely on. Solar and battery storage are among the fastest sources of new power to bring online, and slower permitting means fewer of these projects reaching the grid as demand climbs from data centers, factories, and extreme weather. The solar industry is pushing Congress to pass permitting reform to speed up approvals across energy types. Nothing here changes home rebate programs or eligibility, but the pace of new solar and storage construction nationally could affect electricity prices and grid reliability in the years ahead.