Washington, DC – Today, the Center for New Liberalism is endorsing the Bipartisan American Affordability and Jobs Act (BAAJA) and delivering a letter to all 49 Democratic and Independent Senators, signed by 45 Center for New Liberalism Chapters across the country, urging them to pass the legislation before the current Congress ends.
Introduced in September by Senators Martin Heinrich (D-NM), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Mike Lee (R-UT), and Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), BAAJA would be a historic modernization of how the federal government approves clean energy projects and power lines.
“For years, the Center for New Liberalism has advocated for fixes to our federal permitting system for clean energy and transmission projects,” said Colin Mortimer, Director of the Center for New Liberalism. “It’s simple math – we know that we will never see real progress on our climate goals or on energy affordability if every single wind, solar, and battery project is spending years, or even decades, stuck in the permitting pipeline. This bipartisan bill has the potential to put an end to the backlog that exists, and our members across the country are excited to help get it across the finish line.”
While household electricity prices in America have climbed 5% this year, more than 2,000 gigawatts of proposed power generation and storage are sitting waiting right now. Of that 2,000 gigawatts, nearly 85% are clean energy projects that are waiting to be connected to the grid.
“Michigan families feel the pain of rising energy costs every time they get their utility bill in the mail. None of us can afford to wait years for new clean energy projects that could bring costs down right now,” explained Michigan State Representative Jasper Martus (D-Flushing). “Back in 2023, I helped pass a law here in Michigan to give clean energy projects a faster path to approval, and now, it’s time to make similar changes at the national level. This bill will bring some much-needed common sense to federal permitting laws and help create good jobs for Michiganders in the clean energy sector, while bringing costs down for families.”
“A year ago, Virginians watched as a fully permitted $11 billion offshore wind farm, big enough to power over half a million homes, faced a costly month-long delay simply because President Trump has a personal vendetta against wind power,” said DMV New Liberals Chair Karl Nielsen. “Solar and wind projects shouldn’t be subject to the whims of an out-of-control executive. This bipartisan legislation would stop future abuses of power that jeopardize much-needed energy projects in Virginia and across the country, and the DMV New Liberals are proud to support the bill.”
The letter from the Center for New Liberalism’s chapters highlights the provisions in the legislation that would fast-track routine powerline upgrades and small projects, set deadlines for federal reviews, modernize grid planning, give certainty to developers, and protect households from unfair grid costs. The full letter and list of signatory chapters are available HERE.
In the coming days and weeks, the Center for New Liberalism also intends to mobilize its membership in support of the Bipartisan American Affordability and Jobs Act.
About the Center for New Liberalism
The Center for New Liberalism is a digital-first grassroots organization advancing liberal values at a time when they are under growing threat. Founded in 2017 as a hub for a global movement of center-left activists, the organization has grown to more than 50 chapters worldwide, including over 40 in the United States and a dozen abroad.
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Media Contact: Tobin Stone - tobin@cnliberalism.org | (402) 619-7744
