Senate to Vote on Bipartisan American Affordability and Jobs Act to Reform Electricity Transmission
The U.S. Senate is scheduled to vote on the Bipartisan American Affordability and Jobs Act (BAAJA), a bill aimed at significantly reforming the planning, permitting, and construction of electricity transmission lines across the country. According to David Pomerantz, executive director of the Energy and Policy Institute, these reforms could lead to lower energy bills for millions of Americans. The current system often sees utility monopolies obstructing the construction of long-distance transmission lines, which can increase electricity costs, reduce grid reliability, and hinder the integration of clean energy. BAAJA seeks to address these issues by establishing basic planning standards for Regional Transmission Operators (RTOs), requiring regions to plan collaboratively, and mandating FERC to create standards for allocating the costs of new transmission lines. The bill also grants federal regulators at FERC the authority to intervene and approve lines if states cause undue delays or reject projects that be...
