Former Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm is urging Democrats to pass a sweeping bipartisan permitting bill now, while warning President Trump that his restrictions on wind energy could derail the deal.

Why it matters: The former Michigan governor is an influential Democratic voice on energy policy, and her comments come as the party weighs whether to embrace a major permitting compromise despite opposition from some environmental and tribal groups.

Driving the news: Granholm said Trump's actions against renewable energy could prompt Democrats negotiating the legislation to walk away.

• "If they want permitting reform, knock it off," Granholm, who served as energy secretary under President Biden, told Axios in an interview this week.
• But she also urged Democrats to seize the chance to pass the bill. "I think we should pass it. I know it's not perfect," she said.
• "Who's to say we're going to get a better deal?" Granholm said. "We still need a presidential signature in the next two years."

Catch up quick: The bipartisan bill, unveiled Sept. 30, would make it easier to build energy projects and power lines, while helping clear a backlog of projects waiting to connect to the electricity grid.

State of play: Granholm warned that without faster permitting, more technology companies could double down on building their own natural gas power plants rather than connecting to the grid.

• "I am very concerned about those projects actually coming to fruition," Granholm said.
• She acknowledged the bill could also accelerate fossil fuel development, but said: "If we're on an equal playing field, clean energy wins.

Yes, but: Granholm singled out concerns from Native American tribal nations as an area where she wants the legislation improved, though she didn't indicate that it should slow down the legislative process.

• "There is concern clearly among the tribal governments, and I think we should listen to that, and we should make the bill better when we have the opportunity to do so," Granholm said.

What they're saying: The Native American Rights Fund, a nonprofit legal group representing American Tribal Nations, said it opposes the bill.

• It "severely weakens Tribal opportunities to engage as sovereign governments, curtails Tribal consultation requirements, and restricts access to legal recourse in court," the group said in its Oct. 20 statement.
• The bill's sponsors say it preserves tribes' ability to participate in formal consultations.

The other side: The White House didn't immediately respond to a request for comment about Granholm's comments or opposition by Tribal Nations.

• A White House official told Ben yesterday the administration was approving more onshore wind farms that had been delayed by military reviews (see below for more).

What's next: The Senate has scheduled an initial procedural vote for Nov. 9, less than a week after the midterm elections — leaving little time to resolve the growing disagreements.

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The permitting deal is poised to reduce emissions and lay the groundwork for steeper cuts if federal climate policy ever gets stronger, a new analysis finds.

Why it matters: The conclusion, via scholars with a Columbia energy think tank, arrives as lawmakers are weighing positions on the most important energy bill in years.

🗞️ Driving the news: "The bill's 'all of the above' reforms are likely to produce a net reduction in emissions relative to business as usual, although the extent of that reduction is highly uncertain," the white paper states.

Yes, but: It adds that without permitting reforms, rapid clean energy buildout needed for steep cuts will keep facing barriers.

• The bill isn't a stand-in for a strong climate policy, but making infrastructure easier to build is "an important step toward one," the analysis states.

Zoom out: Lower energy prices from more generation and transmission are "plausible but conditional," it finds.

🏃 Catch up quick: The administration said yesterday it's allowing three wind projects in Illinois and one in Iowa to proceed, following action last week on projects in Maine and South Dakota.

• Democratic co-sponsors have been calling for ending bottlenecks as a show of good faith.

💬 What they're saying: Longtime progressive climate activist Tom Steyer yesterday endorsed the bill.

🔭 What we're watching: The White House isn't in a mood to make new commitments outside wind approvals.

• Remember yesterday's story on several Senate Dems seeking reinstatement of clean energy grants? "The text of the legislation has been published and all there is left to do is vote," a White House official told me in response.
• The White House is working with Senate negotiators and is "looking forward to action on this historic legislation to unleash more energy," the official said.

The U.S. is the top emitter of methane from oil and gas operations, per International Energy Agency data.

Why it matters: EPA yesterday proposed to relax Biden-era requirements on industry to crack down on methane emissions.

• Separate analyses also show the U.S. as the largest source, though some show a smaller overall share than IEA.
• Oil and gas operations are among the largest global sources of the potent planet-warming gas.

Friction point: The administration — which had already delayed many requirements — called the rules onerous, and touted leak-reduction efforts and other programs and industry practices.

• The new plan "rolls back reckless Biden-era red tape" and will save money, officials said.

The other side: It would mean "more wasted energy, more methane pollution and greater health risks for communities living near oil and gas operations," the Environmental Defense Fund said.

🌏 The Turkish hosts of COP31 released the text of the voluntary "Antalya Artificial Intelligence Pledge" that it's urging countries to back.

• Why it matters: AI is increasingly making its way into the global climate diplomacy scene.
• State of play: The pledge asks for more efforts to power AI with climate-friendly energy, but also harness AI for emissions-cutting and adaptation.
• What they're saying: The pledge "the right direction of travel but lacks the accountability mechanisms to steer countries and tech companies on to a better path," the World Resources Institute said (h/t Bloomberg).

🤝 Power infrastructure giant GE Vernova is acquiring Trench Group, which makes high-voltage grid equipment, in a $9 billion deal. Reuters has more.

🛢️ Oil prices are up this morning following reports that Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi rebels struck a major Saudi oil refinery. Brent crude is trading at $115.10.

Electric cars have been touted for years as a secret weapon against the growing crunch on America's electricity grid. So why aren't we using them?

Why it matters: As electricity demand surges, millions of parked EVs could help utilities manage power shortages, lower costs and keep the lights on.

The big picture: The theory is simple enough: EV batteries can store electricity from the grid when it's plentiful and supply it when demand peaks.

• But expensive equipment, complicated utility regulations and consumer skepticism have kept vehicle-to-grid (V2G) technology from catching on.

Driving the news: Ford says its new Fathom electric pickup, arriving in 2027, could help break the logjam by slashing the cost of two-way charging.

• The truck, starting below $30,000, has a built-in inverter that converts the battery's electricity into power homes can use, eliminating a costly piece of external equipment.
• EV owners could save money — or even get paid — for sharing their batteries.

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That's the boost expected from Constellation Energy's Energy Department-backed plan to expand output at nuclear plants in Illinois, Maryland, and Pennsylvania.

Why it matters: Increases from existing plants — called uprates — are so hot right now.

• Yesterday's announcement of up to $5 billion in DOE loans is the latest in several federal, nuclear industry, and Big Tech-backed moves to wring more power from today's fleet.