OPINION:
The Senate voted 73-25 on Monday to advance the Bipartisan American Affordability and Jobs Act (BAAJA), which would speed up permits for new power plants and power lines. President Trump urged senators to support it, calling it “a big win for U.S. energy independence and dominance.”
But faster permits are only half the job. The customer creating the demand should pay the cost. The way to add power quickly, without handing the bill to the family next door, is batteries — on the data center site, and in nearby homes, paid for by the company that needs the electricity.
BAAJA would also make data centers pay for the new power lines they need and their share of the existing grid, instead of shifting those costs onto other customers. That puts the force of law behind Mr. Trump’s Ratepayer Protection Pledge, which calls on tech companies to build, bring or buy their own power.
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Where a data center goes is a decision for local people and their leaders. Who pays for the electricity is not.
The Senate still has another vote before this becomes law. It should finish the job, keep that protection in the bill and keep the new demand off everyone else’s power bills.
SAM ROMAIN
Chairman, Americans for Energy Dominance
Lakeland, Florida
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