US Senate takes up a bipartisan permitting bill that would make large data centres pay more of their grid upgrades, Reuters reports

What changed

Reuters reported on 9 November that the Bipartisan American Affordability and Jobs Act (BAAJA), due before the US Senate for debate that day, would speed approvals for new power plants and transmission lines while requiring large data centre operators to bear more of the cost of the grid upgrades needed to serve them, and would protect other utility customers from being left with the bill if projects fail. According to Reuters, investment firm TD Cowen puts the chance of passage at 25%, down from 40% before the election. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse, one of the authors, backs the bill, while some Democrats, environmental groups and tribal groups oppose parts of it. Rhodium Group estimates its transmission and permitting reforms could cut emissions linked to data centre demand by 31% to 90%, depending on the power mix. The Data Center Coalition had not endorsed the bill. This is a bill under debate, not law.

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