Heinrich’s Bipartisan American Affordability and Jobs Act Passes Key Senate Vote

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), Ranking Member of the U.S. Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, released the following statement after the Senate advanced the Bipartisan American Affordability and Jobs Act (BAAJA), bipartisan legislation to lower energy bills, hold data centers accountable, reduce emissions, and create good-paying jobs.

"If we have any hope of making energy cheaper and making data centers pay for their own energy costs, then we need to pass our Bipartisan American Affordability and Jobs Act into law," said Heinrich. "This bill delivers exactly what Americans told us they wanted on election day: Lower costs and more jobs for American workers - all while reducing our emissions and defending against the administration's attacks on Tribal consultation."

Heinrich continued, "Negotiating this bill hasn't been easy and took a lot of compromise. Now, we need to roll up our sleeves, engage in the amendment process, and work across party lines to get this done. When we put working families ahead of politics, we can build a future that is affordable and put the American dream within reach."

Independent analyses find that BAAJA will:

1. Require data centers to pay for increased grid and energy costs they create, estimated at $55 billion in the next 10 years;
2. Save $19 billion in residential electricity bills over the next 14 years;
3. Nearly double the amount of solar and wind that can connect to the grid;
4. Create up to 105,600 trades and manufacturing jobs; and
5. Avoid 1.5 gigatons of CO2 emissions, the equivalent of taking 39 coal plants offline for a decade.

Earlier today, Heinrich hosted a press conference with U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), Ranking Member of the U.S. Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, to urge their Senate colleagues to pass BAAJA and help lower electricity bills for American families. The full video of the press conference is here.

A fact sheet on BAAJA is here.

The full text of the bill is here.

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