The Bipartisan American Affordability and Jobs Act: What Counties Need to Know about Federal Permitting Reform
This event will take place on Zoom Webinar. Please email nacomeetings@naco.org with registration or login questions.
On September 30th, the U.S. Senate released the text of the bipartisan permitting reform bill, the Bipartisan American Affordability and Jobs Act. This legislation contains several policy wins for counties such as codifying counties status as cooperating agencies for NEPA reviews.
Join NACo staff to learn more about how this bill would modernize the federal permitting process, reduce unnecessary delays, accelerate project delivery and ensure local expertise is incorporated into federal decision-making.
Congress makes progress on data center legislation
NACo has endorsed data center-related bills aimed at providing electricity cost relief to ratepayers - the House's Ratepayer Protection Act and the Senate's American Affordability and Jobs Act.
The "Backslash Backlash:" Counties pivot in the data center buildout
Data center development across the country has put a new focus on county policies, how they regulate land use and more for local residents and how they could shape the path for economic growth built around artificial intelligence and information technology.
Chips, Compute and Counties
NACo CEO Matt Chase: "The fundamentals remain the same [when it comes to data centers]: demand a seat at the table, study the supply chain, understand the financing capital stacks, ask hard questions and fight for a deal that leaves your community better off — not used and abused."
Data center legislation surges as states shift from incentives to oversight
NACo tracked 97 state bills that became law between 2024-2026 governing the new class of hyperscale facilities designed for generative AI and cloud computing.
County leaders push for a voice in data center regulation authority
County officials in states like West Virginia and Texas are limited in their ability to regulate data centers while still held accountable by their residents.
Water matters for data centers
Data centers often cluster in a few places, need treated water and use the most when demand is already high in hot weather. This growing demand is driving data center development nationwide, accelerating local proposals and the importance for county officials to understand impacts to energy, land and water resources.