U.S. Congress Advances Bipartisan Energy Permitting Reform Bill, Potentially Accelerating Data Center Power Builds and Tightening Cost Allocation

The U.S. Congress is advancing a bipartisan energy permitting reform bill (BAAJA) aimed at speeding up energy infrastructure development by compressing review periods and litigation windows, which directly impacts the AI-driven expansion of data centers. The legislation mandates that lead agencies issue decisions within 45 days of completing NEPA environmental reviews, caps the window for legal challenges at 150 days, and strips courts of the authority to directly halt projects. Additionally, the bill seeks to require large power consumers, such as data centers, to shoulder the costs of both new and existing transmission infrastructure, though environmental groups worry it could weaken public oversight and expedite natural gas pipeline construction.