# Senate Bill Links Data-Center Costs to Faster Energy Permits By Riza Dagoc Canonical URL: https://www.tokenpost.com/news/regulation/29732 Published: 2026-10-11T07:52:25.000Z Updated: 2026-10-11T07:52:25.000Z Section: Regulation > The 417-page proposal would set environmental review deadlines, expand transmission siting authority and require data centers to cover associated transmission costs. Four Senate committee leaders introduced a 417-page permitting bill Sept. 30 that would accelerate energy projects and require data centers to pay associated transmission costs. The Bipartisan American Affordability and Jobs Act of 2026, filed as S. 5653, covers transmission lines, renewable-energy facilities, geothermal and hydropower projects, offshore energy infrastructure and natural-gas developments. The bill has been referred to the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee and has not become law. The proposal is designed as a technology-neutral permitting package covering clean-power and conventional energy projects. It would set a two-year deadline for environmental impact statements and a one-year deadline for environmental assessments. The bill would also expand the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission’s authority to site transmission projects and allow transmission applications to move forward alongside state reviews. Data centers would be required to pay all associated transmission costs instead of relying on a voluntary framework. Federal permits would generally remain valid across presidential administrations unless extraordinary circumstances, legal violations or a court order applied. The bill would also bar an administration from delaying or blocking permits for an entire class of energy projects, with legal action and fines available under the proposal. For geothermal development, the Bureau of Land Management would have 60 days to complete certain drilling permits and authorizations. The sponsors have framed the legislation as a way to expand power supplies, create jobs and reduce electricity costs. The bill does not establish a guaranteed savings amount. “The American people want lower energy bills, and they want more clean energy,” Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, ranking member of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, said. Sen. Mike Lee, chair of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, said, “We once built projects like the Hoover Dam, the Golden Gate Bridge, and the Empire State Building in years, not decades.” Sen. Martin Heinrich, ranking member of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, said the bill would mean “more energy on the grid, more good-paying jobs, and lower electricity costs for families and businesses.” The legislation follows [an earlier Senate dispute over data-center transmission costs](), but this proposal would create a nationwide requirement for data centers to cover associated transmission costs. The bill remains before the Senate committee as lawmakers consider its permitting and energy provisions. ## Links in this article - [an earlier Senate dispute over data-center transmission costs](https://www.tokenpost.com/news/regulation/27886)