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The Center on Global Energy Policy (CGEP) at Columbia University SIPA today released a white paper analysing the United States Senate’s proposed Bipartisan American Affordability and Jobs Act...
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The Center on Global Energy Policy (CGEP) at Columbia University SIPA today released a white paper analysing the United States Senate’s proposed Bipartisan American Affordability and Jobs Act of 2026 (BAAJA), which the authors call the most comprehensive effort in years to reform federal energy infrastructure permitting.
The legislation comes as concerns mount over utility bills and increased demand on the grid from data centers and manufacturing, vulnerabilities in critical minerals supply chains, and growing threats to grid resilience from extreme weather events like storms and wildfires.
The analysis finds that the bill’s broad-based reforms would make it meaningfully faster and more predictable to build energy infrastructure of all kinds, with significant potential benefits for energy costs, security, and reliability. It finds BAAJA’s technology-neutral reforms are also likely to facilitate clean energy deployment and emissions reductions relative to business as usual, though the extent of that reduction is highly uncertain. It cautions, however, that ultimate outcomes will depend on implementation of the final legislation, financing, supply chains, and market conditions. The new analysis can be found here.
“BAAJA is fundamentally a speed-and-certainty bill. It changes how quickly energy infrastructure gets approved and built, and takes an ‘all of the above’ approach to removing barriers for projects of all kinds. But it also hinges on bipartisan compromises, and as we look at the real challenges of energy affordability, security, grid resilience, and environmental protection, there are a lot of valid questions about what its impacts might be,” said Robin Millican, Director of Research Programs and Strategic Partnerships at CGEP and a lead author of the new analysis. “We hope that this new analysis from CGEP helps inform the public’s understanding of this bill as policymakers continue their negotiations in the coming weeks.”
Key findings from the analysis show that:
The analysis was written by CGEP scholars Robin Millican, Jack Andreasen Cavanaugh, Noah Kaufman, Vivek Shastry, Tom Moerenhout, Ira Joseph, and Lily Bermel. It follows CGEP’s release of an interactive platform that examines the potential impact of BAAJA, and is part of the Center’s ongoing efforts to analyze fast-moving permitting reform policies in the United States.
If you have any questions about the analysis, please email [email protected].
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This Energy Explained post represents the research and views of the author(s). It does not necessarily represent the views of the Center on Global Energy Policy. The piece...
The interactive tool estimates how the Bipartisan American Affordability and Jobs Act could impact the permitting and construction timelines of different types of energy projects.
