Congress wants to speed up energy projects. Voters hate one part of the plan.

Lawmakers in Washington, D.C., largely agree on one idea: permitting reform. This means making it faster and easier to get government approval to build large energy projects, such as gas plants, solar farms, and power lines. Gas, solar, and technology companies all support the idea. They say the current approval process is too slow and blocks needed construction. But one part of the plan is causing trouble: building data centers. Data centers are large buildings full of computers that store and process internet data. They use huge amounts of electricity. Voters strongly dislike this part of the plan, according to the draft. One source described data centers as "toxic" with voters — meaning the public reacts very negatively to them. So Congress faces a choice. It can pass a bill that helps energy companies build faster. But if that bill also makes it easier to build data centers, voters may punish lawmakers for it. For now, permitting reform remains popular in Washington. Whether it becomes law is less certain.