What happened
Democrats won both chambers in the 2026 midterm elections and will hold at least 54 Senate seats, according to CBS News projections, though races in Alaska and Mississippi remained uncalled. Voters who said they were very worried about utility and fuel costs supported Democratic House candidates by roughly two to one, according to an NBC News exit poll.
The election outcome puts pressure on the Bipartisan American Affordability and Jobs Act, a permitting reform bill negotiated by Sens. Martin Heinrich of New Mexico, Sheldon Whitehouse of Rhode Island, Shelley Moore Capito of West Virginia, and Mike Lee of Utah. The legislation aims to speed federal approval for power lines, mines, and fossil fuel and renewable energy projects. A procedural vote on taking up the House vehicle, H.R. 2347, is scheduled for about 5:30 p.m. on Nov. 9, according to the Senate calendar.
Starting in January, Democrats will run the committees that oversee the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. Heinrich is the ranking member of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, while Whitehouse holds the same position on the Environment and Public Works Committee. Rep. Jared Huffman of California is the ranking member on the House Natural Resources Committee, and Rep. Frank Pallone of New Jersey is expected to chair the House Energy and Commerce Committee.
Some Democratic senators, including Tammy Duckworth, Ed Markey, Jeff Merkley, and Ron Wyden, said in an Oct. 27 letter that they were weighing whether to support the Nov. 9 vote and urged the administration to first restore Energy Department grants canceled in October 2025. Investment firm TD Cowen cut its odds of the bill succeeding from about 40 percent to about 25 percent after the election, citing concerns that the measure gives too many concessions to the oil and gas industry.
The result also places President Donald Trump’s nuclear agenda under new Democratic oversight. Trump ordered the NRC in May 2025 to complete a wholesale revision of its regulations within 18 months, a window that closes in late November. The agency has completed 10 rules under that order, with additional rules scheduled for 2027, including one modernizing reactor licensing, safety oversight, and siting set for Feb. 26, 2027.
Chinese solar and battery stocks rose after the election, and U.S. renewable stocks also climbed, according to Reuters. Morningstar analyst Cheng Wang said the Chinese rally appeared driven more by investor sentiment than concrete proposals.
