IN THIS UPDATE
Energy Abundance: A bipartisan Senate deal on permitting reform, and what it will take to get it through the House.
Also on the Hill: The Build America Caucus agenda, the Build American Efficiency Act, and letters on frontier AI models and legislative branch modernization.
Abundance Momentum: Our President in Bloomberg.
Events: Climate Week, roundtables, and happy hours. Oh my!
Abundance Job Openings: 8 new roles across the ecosystem, including Manager of Government Affairs for Inclusive Abundance.
What We’re Reading
ENERGY ABUNDANCE
It was a big month for energy abundance. Senators Capito, Whitehouse, Lee, and Heinrich released the Bipartisan American Affordability and Jobs Act of 2026 (BAAJA), the most serious bipartisan permitting package in years. It protects projects that have earned their approvals from having them revoked for political reasons, includes major transmission reforms to get power lines built, and requires new data centers to cover the full costs of the grid built to serve them. Read a statement from our President Derek Kaufman here.
On October 1, we hosted a press call to break down the deal with former senior Hill staff and leading energy experts, including our Head of Government and External Affairs Baillee Brown, Jane Flegal (Searchlight Institute), Ben Schifman and Will Poff-Webster (Institute for Progress), and Daniel Wolf (CleanEcon). Our Head of Communications Brianna Johnson moderated, and the conversation covered what is and isn’t in the text, what it means for electricity costs, and the path forward in the House and Senate. Jane’s comments were picked up by The Hill and Central Air. As Baillee noted on the call, the bill still has to clear both chambers, and the window is short. Read her case for passing it in the lame duck on Substack.
The House’s bipartisan Build America Caucus (BAC) released a statement of support. It references a roundtable we organized last December, where Utah Gov. Spencer Cox pressed Congress to act on permitting reform. We’re grateful to BAC for their leadership and look forward to supporting the work to advance permitting reform.
Even the bill’s opponents are recognizing abundance’s influence. On a leaked strategy call, environmental groups fighting the deal indicated abundance has persuaded more Democrats on the merits of permitting reform.
ALSO ON THE HILL
Permitting wasn’t the only thing happening this month in DC.
The Build America Caucus released its bipartisan Build More Agenda, which we were proud to endorse. Read their press release and the full agenda.
We also endorsed the Build American Efficiency Act, introduced by Senators Angus King and John Curtis. It would let the Department of Housing and Urban Development recognize verified lists of American-made products (in compliance with the Build America, Buy America Act), clearing a roadblock that slows builders down and keeps homes from being built.
And we recently joined two coalition letters. The first, led by Americans for Responsible Innovation and the Center for Democracy & Technology, asked the White House to publicly release its framework for reviewing frontier AI models, so Congress and the public can understand how oversight works. Read coverage in Semafor. The second, organized by R Street Institute, urged the House to continue its legislative branch modernization efforts. Read the R Street letter here.
ABUNDANCE MOMENTUM
Bloomberg recently profiled Derek and how he is putting the abundance movement into practice. The piece traces how the biggest housing bill in decades became law and how our team is moving abundance policy through Congress. Read the profile here.
EVENTS
Abundance Agenda Roundtables. On September 8, we brought experts together in DC for two roundtables, one on child care and one on workforce. In these conversations, we introduced them to authors and ideas from our forthcoming Abundance Agenda project. Those stakeholders, including think tank wonks, representatives from leading orgs like NAEYC and NABTU, and more, gave the authors valuable feedback as they work on their proposals.
NYC Climate Week. Just days before the Senate deal was announced, a full room joined us and Third Way to talk permitting reform. Our own Marcel Akhame co-hosted with Ryan Fitzpatrick, and they took stock of where federal reform stands and where state leaders are already delivering. Thank you to our panelists and moderators, the entire Third Way team, and everyone who joined.
Energy Comms Happy Hour. We also hosted a happy hour for press and congressional communications staff working on energy abundance. Thank you to everyone who showed up during this very busy time!
ABUNDANCE JOB OPENINGS
We’re hiring a Manager of Government Affairs to put abundance on the agenda in the congressional offices shaping health care and science policy! Apply here by October 16.
Below is our usual roundup of new roles across and around the abundance ecosystem. If you know someone who wants to work on abundance, forward them this newsletter. To feature a role in the next issue, email lindsey@inclusiveabundance.org.
Arnold Ventures: Manager, Digital and Social Media | New York, Houston, or DC | $105,000 – $140,000
Abundance New York: Policy Director | NYC | $130,000 – $160,000
We Build Progress: Communications Director | Remote | $150,000 – $160,000
Federation of American Scientists: Events Manager | DC | $80,000 – $92,500
Americans for Responsible Innovation: Communications Manager | DC | $115,000 – $135,000
Third Way: Senior Policy Advisor, Family Policy | DC | $84,000 – $95,000
The Argument: Fellow | DC | $50,000
WHAT WE’RE READING
Beth Simone Noveck, New Jersey’s chief AI strategist, on how AI can improve government services.
Marina Nitze on how model standards helped states license relatives caring for foster children far faster, and how the same approach could apply to child care.
Axios on how Gov. Andy Beshear is leaning into abundance, calling on the next president to build millions of homes.
Inclusive Abundance’s own Jackson Gode on how accountability and government effectiveness can go hand in hand.
A crossover between government effectiveness and the permitting deal: Alex Mechanick on why BAAJA’s procedural reforms would do an extraordinary amount of good if enacted.
This newsletter is a product of Inclusive Abundance Action, our 501(c)(4).