Today’s headlines: What’s next for the permitting bill, and more

This roundup of U.S. energy news headlines is part of our Canary Media Daily newsletter. Sign up to get it in your inbox each morning.

PERMITTING BILL

• House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) says he believes there’s enough Republican support to pass the bipartisan permitting bill. (Bloomberg)
• Bill co-author Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.) says the Senate will vote on the bill’s proposed amendments next week, with Democrats expected to try and beef up the legislation’s clean energy provisions. (Reuters)

COP31

• At the COP31 climate conference, United Nations secretary general António Guterres warns that ​“fossil fuel interests keep making a killing while killing our planet,” though leaders of some of the most polluting countries skipped the event. (New York Times)
• World leaders at COP31 are pitching climate action as a means to make everyday life more affordable, especially as fossil fuel prices have skyrocketed around the globe. (Reuters)
• Former U.S. climate envoy John Kerry urges the U.S. and the world to follow China’s lead and rapidly scale up clean energy development and mass electrification. (The Guardian)

POLITICS

• Democratic insiders are drafting policy recommendations for the party’s next president that include revamping the power market to boost competition and the interconnection of new generation. (Axios)
• As Democrats gain a legislative and gubernatorial trifecta in Pennsylvania, the chair of the Energy Committee says they’re looking to prioritize affordability and getting more renewables online. (Inside Climate News)

DATA CENTERS

• SoftBank ordered 13 GW of gas turbines in 2025 as it looked to capitalize on the U.S. data center boom, but now faces a $3.7 billion loss as it cancels orders for turbines it doesn’t need. (Wall Street Journal)
• Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) once again urges his party to pass a nationwide moratorium on data center construction before they lose their majority, though Democrats will likely support the measure too. (The Hill)

GRID

• Constellation Energy is in talks with large customers to purchase nuclear baseload power generation alongside grid resources like battery storage and demand response instead of funding new gas power generation. (Utility Dive)