STATEMENT: Dream.Org Welcomes the Introduction of the Bipartisan American Affordability and Jobs Act
Dream.Org applauds negotiators for introducing the Bipartisan American Affordability and Jobs Act.
We thank Ranking Members Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) and Martin Heinrich (D-NM), as well as Chairs Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV) and Mike Lee (R-UT) for working so tirelessly to develop and introduce the bipartisan bill. The senators and their staff have provided critical leadership on the issue and we look forward to working with members on both sides of the aisle as negotiations continue.
Enacting permitting reform will ensure that American families and communities have access to affordable, reliable power, create well-paying jobs, and promote the infrastructure buildout we need to deploy clean power and reduce emissions.
In frontline communities like South Memphis, Tennessee and Port Morris, New York, the Bipartisan American Affordability and Jobs Act will lay the regulatory groundwork to retire and replace fossil fuel plants with updated clean energy sources. For American households struggling with high utility bills, this bill will make it faster and easier to build the transmission infrastructure and clean energy sources we need in order to strengthen the power grid and lower electricity costs. For labor unions and workers who were forced to combat uncertainty and delay when the Trump administration revoked wind permits for Revolution Wind, Empire Wind, Esmeralda 7 Solar, and other clean energy projects nationwide, this bill will prohibit any administration from delaying or blocking the permitting of energy projects without facing substantial legal action and fees.
While all stakeholders may not agree on individual elements of the permitting package, we are united with our partners in the belief that durable, technology-neutral legislation is needed to improve energy affordability, support job growth, and build clean power projects. The cost of inaction currently ripples throughout the economy, raising energy costs and electricity bills and jeopardizing the health of American families and workers. We look forward to shaping the bill text in collaboration with our coalition partners.
Dream.Org has advocated for bipartisan permitting and transmission reform for several years. The Bipartisan American Affordability and Jobs Act presents an opportunity for the communities we represent and serve, and we look forward to supporting the passage of the bill.
