Summary of Sen. McCormick’s Power Agenda

Overview of Sen. McCormick’s Power Agenda

This episode features a live Puck Breakfast conversation between Leanne Caldwell and Sen. Dave McCormick of Pennsylvania, with opening remarks from Puck’s John Kelly and Edison Electric Institute’s Drew Maloney. The discussion centers on McCormick’s worldview as a newly elected senator with deep business and investment experience: energy dominance, AI-driven electricity demand, permitting reform, Iran and national security, and his unusual bipartisan rapport with Sen. John Fetterman. The interview also touches on election integrity and how McCormick sees the Senate’s role in restoring public trust.

Key Topics Discussed

Iran, military action, and energy disruption

• McCormick argues Iran is the world’s leading state sponsor of terror and should be viewed with deep skepticism.
• He supports President Trump’s strikes as an effort to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon and to degrade its missile, drone, and launch capabilities.
• On the Strait of Hormuz, he says the U.S. is better positioned than most countries to withstand an oil shock because of its energy production strength and naval presence.
• He acknowledges Americans are already feeling the impact through higher gas prices and inflation, but says the nuclear threat outweighs the economic downside.

AI, data centers, and rising electricity demand

• McCormick says the U.S. is entering an AI revolution that will also be an energy revolution.
• He frames AI as both an opportunity and a source of anxiety, especially around jobs, security, and power prices.
• Data centers are a major driver of future load growth, and he says communities should negotiate a “covenant” before hosting them, including:
  • protection for local consumers on energy costs,
  • water commitments,
  • local job creation,
  • tax-base benefits,
  • infrastructure investments such as roads and schools.
• He warns that hyperscalers have often done a poor job communicating with local communities, though they are improving.

Energy policy and “all of the above”

• McCormick says the best approach is to embrace all forms of energy and let markets decide where capital goes.
• He argues the Biden administration tilted too heavily away from fossil fuels, while the current administration has restored more balance.
• He notes nuclear still deserves support because it helps fill market gaps.

Permitting reform as the central bottleneck

• McCormick repeatedly says permitting reform is the single biggest thing Congress can do for energy, infrastructure, and economic growth.
• His core complaints:
  • environmental review timelines are too long,
  • permits can be endlessly litigated after approval,
  • denials often lack clear legal justification.
• He says energy projects now take roughly 5–6 years to permit, which he views as absurdly slow.
• He believes permitting uncertainty is suppressing roughly $1.5 trillion in sidelined capital.
• He specifically supports:
  • tighter review timelines,
  • limits on post-approval litigation,
  • clearer standards for denials.
• He also cites the proposed Rewire Act, which would make it easier to upgrade existing transmission lines within already permitted rights-of-way.

Bipartisan relationship with Sen. John Fetterman

• McCormick describes his relationship with Fetterman as one of the biggest surprises of his Senate career.
• Despite campaigning against each other, the two have built a working relationship focused on Pennsylvania-first issues.
• Areas of cooperation include fentanyl, shipbuilding in Philadelphia, U.S. Steel, and border issues.
• He says donors pushed them to create a joint fundraising committee, which simply splits funds between them.
• McCormick insists he is not trying to get Fetterman to switch parties; he says the relationship is about mutual respect and shared state interests.

Election integrity and voter confidence

• McCormick says he believes Biden won the 2020 election, but he also emphasizes election irregularities and the need for reform.
• He supports voter ID and proof of citizenship, calling them broadly popular ideas.
• He argues that mail-in ballots, late-counted votes, and recounts create uncertainty and weaken confidence.
• He says the goal should be to “squeeze out the uncertainty” rather than relitigate every result.

Main Takeaways

• Energy dominance is central to McCormick’s agenda: he sees it as both a national security issue and an economic one.
• Permitting reform is his top policy priority: he views bureaucratic delays and litigation as the biggest obstacle to meeting rising power demand.
• AI is reshaping U.S. electricity needs: McCormick believes data centers will drive major new infrastructure investment.
• He favors pragmatic bipartisan dealmaking: especially on Pennsylvania-specific priorities, even with political opponents.
• He wants tougher election rules: particularly voter ID and proof of citizenship, as a way to restore public trust.

Notable Framing

• McCormick repeatedly returns to the idea that capital will move if policy uncertainty stays high.
• He argues that energy infrastructure is now economic infrastructure.
• His approach is broadly pro-growth, pro-development, and “all of the above,” with a strong emphasis on local buy-in and investment certainty.