A U.S. Senate bill, the Bipartisan American Affordability and Jobs Act, which was introduced in late September, could fast-track the permitting process of infrastructure needed to power data centers. Although recently introduced, the Senate might move a vote forward as soon as next week, according to The Verge. The Bipartisan Policy Center said the White House has been involved and wants the bill to move while Republicans still control the House and Senate, according to the report. If it passes, U.S. President Donald Trump plans to sign the bill into law before the end of the year. The bill was introduced by Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Mike Lee (R-UT) and Martin Heinrich (D-NM). The 400-plus-page bill would make procedural changes to the National Environmental Policy Act. NEPA requires federal agencies to consider the environmental impact of various federal actions, such as permitting, leasing, federal funding and federal projects. "Those reviews take too long, cost more than they should, and can be undone years after they are finished," according to the Bipartisan Policy Center. "BAAJA rewrites the statute's procedural provisions along three lines: scope of review (what agencies must analyze), which projects get reviewed at all, and how long the process takes." The bill seeks to simplify the process for the approval and development of high-voltage transmission corridors. It addresses specifics of the National Historic Preservation Act, which can add years to the timeline of projects before construction even begins. Regarding data centers, the BAAJA requires operators of data centers with 20MW or more of capacity to be required to cover all additional expenses and not pass those off to other customers. "These provisions aim to build transmission faster while giving states and consumers a stronger voice in how lines, especially those triggered by data centers, are approved and paid for," the BPC said. In addition, the bill would prompt the U.S. Energy Information Administration to update its Form 861 to begin separating out electricity use by data centers for AI, cloud computing and cryptocurrency mining. "Whether it is permits to bulldoze wetlands, the fast-tracking of gas pipelines or general environmental review, with this legislation, data centers would not need to answer to the concerns of local communities," said Christy Goldfuss, executive director of the Natural Resources Defense Council, according to the report. "People would be shocked to realize their representatives are rushing such a consequential decision." U.S. citizens' concerns over data centers were front and center in the midterm elections on Tuesday. An AP poll found that 56% of voters surveyed said data centers were a "crucial or major" factor in their vote.
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