(The Center Square) – Although Congress failed to pass the Ratepayer Protection Act, another bipartisan bill the U.S. Senate intends to take up would codify even stronger protections for American taxpayers facing surging electric bills due to data centers.
Yet the long-awaited permitting reform bill, the Bipartisan American Affordability and Jobs Act, would also accelerate data center buildouts and restrict impacted communities’ abilities to reject those projects, critics warn.
kAm%96 AC:>2CJ AFCA@D6 @7 E96 kDEC@?8mk2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]6AH]D6?2E6]8@G^AF3=:4^042496^7:=6D^d^4^d4d7dhbd\3aac\cg6f\2362\6e_4b_6f2c47^fhbdqubrgdhefqeudeueucgdgusbaa`qft_ptq_as_cqtbh`rpuqs`qggcrtbsrd]3:A2CE:D2?\2>6C:42?\277@C523:=:EJ\2?5\;@3D\24E\E6IE]A57Q E2C86ElQ03=2?<Qmc`f\A286 3:==k^2mk^DEC@?8m :D E@ 6IA65:E6 E96 A6C>:EE:?8 2AAC@G2= AC@46DD 7@C 6?6C8J\C6=2E65 AC@;64ED – DF49 2D ?2EFC2= 82D A:A6=:?6D[ 5C:==:?8 2?5 >:?:?8[ 2?5 52E2 46?E6C :?7C2DECF4EFC6 – 3J D42=:?8 324< 6?G:C@?>6?E2= 2?5 ;F5:4:2= C6G:6HD]k^Am
kAm$A@?D@CD @7 qppyp D2J :E H:== :?4C62D6 6?6C8J DFAA=J[ =@H6C 6=64EC:4:EJ 4@DED[ 2?5 4C62E6 >@C6 ;@3D 2D E96 4@F?ECJ 6?E6CD 2 ?6H 6C2 @7 6?6C8J 56>2?5]k^Am
kAm}@E23=J[ :E 2=D@ C6BF:C6D @H?6CD @7 52E2 46?E6CD E92E 5C2H >@C6 E92? a_ |( @7 A@H6C A=F88:?8 :?E@ E96 6=64EC:4 8C:5 E@ A2J 7@C E96 2DD@4:2E65 8C:5 FA8C256 4@DED]k^Am
kAm“(6 92G6 2? 6?@C>@FD @AA@CEF?:EJ E@ 3F:=5 3:8 E9:?8D 282:? E@ >66E E92E >@>6?E – E@ 3F:=5 >@C6 86?6C2E:@?[ 6IA2?5 @FC 8C:5[ 4C62E6 >@C6 ;@3D[ =@H6C 6?6C8J 4@DED[ 2?5 >2<6 DFC6 H6 92G6 E96 6?6C8J H6 ?665 E@ 4@>A6E6[” $6?2E6 t?G:C@?>6?E 2?5 !F3=:4 (@C<D r@>>:EE66 #2?<:?8 |6>36C |2CE:? w6:?C:49[ s\}]|][ DE2E65]k^Am
kAm“xE D9@F=5 ?@E E2<6 564256D E@ 3F:=5 E96 :?7C2DECF4EFC6 @FC 4@F?ECJ ?665D[” w6:?C:49D 25565] “~FC q:A2CE:D2? p>6C:42? p77@C523:=:EJ 2?5 y@3D p4E H:== 96=A FD 86E E@ ‘J6D’ @C ‘?@’ @? 6?6C8J AC@;64ED 72DE6C]”k^Am
kAm(:E9@FE 72DE6C 3F:=5@FE @7 9:89\G@=E286 EC2?D>:DD:@? =:?6D[ 255:E:@?2= A@H6C 86?6C2E:@? 724:=:E:6D[ 2?5 @E96C 6?6C8J :?7C2DECF4EFC6[ E96 &]$] 56>2?5 7@C 6?6C8J H:== @G6CE2<6 DFAA=J H:E9:? E96 ?6IE E6? J62CD[ 244@C5:?8 E@ E96 }@CE9 p>6C:42? t=64EC:4 #6=:23:=:EJ r@CA@C2E:@?]k^Am
kAmkDEC@?8mk2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]?6C4]4@>^8=@32=2DD6ED^@FC\H@C<^2DD6DD>6?ED^?6C40=EC20a_ad]A57Q E2C86ElQ03=2?<Qm}t#r’D a_ae 7@C642DEk^2mk^DEC@?8m 2=D@ ?@E65 E92E 52E2 46?E6CD 2C6 E96 AC:>2CJ 5C:G6CD @7 E96 9:DE@C:42==J F?AC64656?E65 DFC86 :? 6=64EC:4:EJ 56>2?5]k^Am
kAmqFE 4C:E:4D @7 qppyp H@CCJ :E H@F=5 EC2>A=6 DE2E6 2?5 4@>>F?:EJ C:89ED 3J =:>:E:?8 =:E:82E:@? 2?5 =@42= :?AFE[ >2<:?8 :E >@C6 5:77:4F=E 7@C DE2E6D E@ 56?J 7656C2= AC@;64ED[ 2?5 >@DE :>A@CE2?E=J[ “D66>:?8=J >2<6 :E :>A@DD:3=6 E@ AFE 7@CH2C5 2 A2FD6 @C >@C2E@C:F> @? 2? 24E:G:EJ[ 6G6? :7 E96 A2FD6 H@F=5 @?=J 36 E@ 2==@H E:>6 7@C 4=@D6C C6G:6H @7 A@E6?E:2= :>A24ED[” E96 (:=56C?6DD $@4:6EJ H2C?D]k^Am
kAmy@:?65 3J ?62C=J a__ @E96C 25G@424J 8C@FAD[ u@@5 U2>Aj (2E6C (2E49 42==65 E96 3:== 2 “DH66E962CE 562= 7@C 52E2 46?E6CD]”k^Am
kAm“r@>>F?:E:6D 2C6 7:89E:?8 px 52E2 46?E6CD 3642FD6 E96J D66 7:CDE\92?5 E96 :>A24ED E96D6 >@?DEC@D:E:6D 2C6 92G:?8 @? FE:=:EJ 3:==D[ BF2=:EJ @7 =:76 2?5 AC64:@FD H2E6C C6D@FC46D E96J 56A6?5 @?[” A@=:4J 5:C64E@C y:> (2=D9 2E u@@5 U2>Aj (2E6C (2E49 DE2E65]k^Am