Democrats dominated in the midterms largely on a kitchen-table message of affordability. Naturally, one of their first legislative acts will be to increase the cost of living in a crucial part of the economy: energy.

Congress has one shot — and one shot only, it seems — to enact comprehensive permitting reform in the lame-duck session starting next week. Party leaders in the Senate have already negotiated the deal. By paring back and streamlining federal reviews of energy and infrastructure projects, the Bipartisan American Affordability and Jobs Act — cliché name, but what else is new — would........

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