Rep. Huffman urges Democrats to wait until after November midterms before acting on Senate permitting bill
Rep. Jared Huffman (D-Calif.), ranking member of the House Natural Resources Committee, is criticizing the Bipartisan American Affordability and Jobs Act (BAAJA), saying it favors oil and gas and should be considered after the November midterms. He objects to a provision letting companies sue for damages over fuel-type discrimination, with payouts from the Judgment Fund, which he notes was used for roughly $4 billion in offshore wind developer buyouts. The bill would also constrain National Environmental Policy Act reviews, alter transmission approvals, and limit state and tribal Clean Water Act objections.
Data center demand is a stated driver of the permitting push, so the bill's final shape and timing after the midterms could affect how fast grid, pipeline and generation projects tied to new load get approved.
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