Beth Chajes is the state coordinator for the Delaware chapter of Citizens’ Climate Lobby.
There’s a new bipartisan bill in Congress that, if passed, will significantly lower energy costs for us here in Delaware.
The Bipartisan American Affordability and Jobs Act is a comprehensive package of permitting reforms that will speed up clean energy deployment and reduce emissions. Sens. Sheldon Whitehouse, D-R.I., and Martin Heinrich, D-N.M., led bipartisan negotiations, yielding a bill that will advance climate goals and support clean energy, while still maintaining important environmental safeguards.
The Senate is set to take up the bill in early November. Citizens’ Climate Lobby of Delaware encourages Sens. Chris Coons and Lisa Blunt Rochester, both D-Del., to support it with “yes” votes.
This bill is important to Delawareans because it will reduce both energy costs and the carbon emissions that are disrupting our climate. The bill contains strong transmission provisions that can unlock the enormous amount of clean energy waiting to connect to the grid. The bill would streamline the permitting process, while preserving necessary reviews and opportunities for public input. Further, it provides greater certainty that, once projects receive permits, they cannot be arbitrarily revoked.
About 90% of projects in our regional permitting queue are clean energy projects. While some provisions may also benefit fossil fuel producers, the overwhelming advantage will accrue to clean energy. Reforming the permitting process will help America build and connect clean energy much faster — clean energy projects that are now cheaper than fossil fuel projects over their lifetimes, since they eliminate the need to continually excavate and transport fuel.
More abundant, affordable electricity will lower energy costs for households and businesses. According to analysis by the Center for Climate and Energy Solutions, connecting more clean energy could reduce American households’ electricity bills by a total of $19 billion by 2040.
Here in Delaware, we need these changes. We’ve seen rising electricity prices amid growing demand, transmission congestion and concerns about reliability, especially during extreme weather. This year, typical electric bills for Delmarva Power residential customers increased by about 9% overall. During periods of higher usage, particularly during the summer, the impact is even greater. This is often due to “congestion pricing” during periods of peak demand. BAAJA would ease congestion by modernizing our transmission system.
A big reason for the projected electricity demand and cost increases here in Delaware and elsewhere is the growth in data centers. In October, Sen. Blunt Rochester introduced bipartisan legislation with Sen. John Curtis, R-Utah, to improve transparency around data centers’ energy and infrastructure impacts, and give communities more tools to evaluate proposed projects. This would align particularly well with BAAJA’s provisions requiring data centers to cover all their associated transmission costs and more.
No matter what happened in the election, bipartisan support is still needed to pass a bill. Negotiating a bill this complex takes most of a two-year session of Congress. Any bill will still need to reach the 60-vote threshold in the Senate and be signed by the president. Moreover, bipartisan legislation is more likely to endure well into the future.
Simply put, the status quo isn’t working. It’s not working for the climate, which is changing rapidly. It’s not working for America’s transition to clean energy, which is going much too slowly. And it’s not working for American families, who are struggling with rising electricity costs.
We need Congress to act, and passing the Bipartisan American Affordability and Jobs Act is the right next step.
Reader reactions, pro or con, are welcomed at civiltalk@iniusa.org.
