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Dani Marx
202-508-5301
FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT:
Dani Marx
202-508-5301
At Puck x EEI Power Breakfast, EEI President and CEO Drew Maloney and Senator Dave McCormick Focus on Energy, Innovation, and Permitting Reform
At Puck x EEI Power Breakfast, EEI President and CEO Drew Maloney and Senator Dave McCormick Focus on Energy, Innovation, and Permitting Reform
WASHINGTON (July 22, 2026) — On Tuesday, Senator Dave McCormick (R-PA) underscored the importance of reliable, affordable energy and the grid’s role as America’s most important economic and national security engine.
Speaking at a Puck x Edison Electric Institute (EEI) Power Breakfast in Washington, D.C., Senator McCormick discussed much-needed grid investments, rising energy demand, and the need for bipartisan permitting reform that would unlock innovation and opportunity across the country.
“Electricity powers everything—every porch light, small business, hospital, school, and call home is powered by reliable, affordable electricity,” Drew Maloney, president and CEO of EEI, said during introductory remarks. “We are grateful to Senator McCormick for his continued focus on energy, innovation, and policies that help electric companies deliver the energy of every day to their customers.”
Key Takeaways:
Investing in the Grid Means Investing in American Competitiveness
EEI member companies will invest $1.4 trillion during the next five years to make the grid more reliable, resilient, and ready to meet rising energy demand. Senator McCormick emphasized the importance of these investments and their connection to permitting reform and supportive public policy, which help get steel in the ground and electrons on the grid.
Senator McCormick said:
“Capital is sitting on the sidelines. This isn’t just energy policy. It’s economic policy. ... When you think about the biggest thing we could do to juice our economy, we have this potential wind at our backs.”
Permitting Reform Will Unlock Economic Opportunity
Senator McCormick expressed support for permitting reform legislation that would get energy infrastructure online more quickly, benefiting customers and giving businesses more certainty.
Senator McCormick said:
“The biggest thing we could do for energy, in my opinion, is permitting reform. For energy projects across the board—pipelines, natural gas, drilling, even solar—getting a permit takes five to six years on average. To put that in perspective, it took three and a half years to win World War II. And our primary competitor, China, has none of those problems."
EEI member companies will invest $1.4 trillion during the next five years to make the grid more reliable, resilient, and ready to meet rising energy demand. Senator McCormick emphasized the importance of these investments and their connection to permitting reform and supportive public policy, which help get steel in the ground and electrons on the grid.
Senator McCormick said:
“Capital is sitting on the sidelines. This isn’t just energy policy. It’s economic policy. ... When you think about the biggest thing we could do to juice our economy, we have this potential wind at our backs.”
Permitting Reform Will Unlock Economic Opportunity
Senator McCormick expressed support for permitting reform legislation that would get energy infrastructure online more quickly, benefiting customers and giving businesses more certainty.
Senator McCormick said:
“The biggest thing we could do for energy, in my opinion, is permitting reform. For energy projects across the board—pipelines, natural gas, drilling, even solar—getting a permit takes five to six years on average. To put that in perspective, it took three and a half years to win World War II. And our primary competitor, China, has none of those problems."
On the prospects of passing a bipartisan permitting package in the Senate, he added:
“There are various degrees of optimism, but three things make this moment more plausible than past ones: One: There's largely agreement that all sources of energy are necessary given this spike in demand. Two: It's not viable politically to be against all forms of energy. Three: The demand we're seeing and the pressure on prices create a moment for real progress.”
Data Centers Are 'Economic Engines,' But Customer Protection Is Critical
Electric companies increasingly power the data centers and AI technologies that are reshaping how customers work and live. Senator McCormick highlighted the economic development opportunities these sorts of projects unlock—and the importance of the community engagement that electric companies help lead to ensure benefits are felt and understood locally.
Senator McCormick said:
"When a data center comes into a community, there needs to be a formal covenant around five things: protection on energy for local consumers, water, jobs, taxes, and any other infrastructure commitments that come with it."
In 24 states, electric companies and regulators have adopted these sorts of fair share agreements that ensure tech companies and hyperscalers pay for the energy infrastructure their projects require.
He said:
“These are decisions that need to be made within communities. Data centers are clearly economic engines: They create thousands of jobs to build, hundreds of jobs to run them, plus hundreds of jobs to support them in terms of the hotels and restaurants around them.”
About EEI
About EEI
EEI is the association that represents all U.S. investor-owned electric companies. Our members provide safe, reliable electricity for nearly 250 million Americans, and operate in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. Collectively, the electric power industry supports more than 7 million jobs in communities across the United States and drives economic growth and prosperity. EEI also includes hundreds of industry suppliers and related organizations as Associate Members.