BAAJA Bill Balances Grid Modernization with Severe Environmental Rollbacks

Key points

• BAAJA would mandate advanced transmission technologies and interregional planning, potentially freeing up 100 gigawatts of capacity and reducing project timelines to five to six years.
• The bill includes 'project certainty' clauses that prevent agencies from canceling permits for environmental reasons, risking billions in taxpayer-funded payouts to industry if projects are halted.
• Provisions weaken the Clean Water Act, Endangered Species Act, and NEPA by raising evidentiary burdens for states and removing courts' ability to issue injunctions against unlawful permits.
• Data centers over 20 megawatts must pay for grid impacts, while oil and gas drilling on private lands accessing federal reserves is exempted from federal permitting.
• Former Sen. Joe Manchin predicts passage by year-end, noting Trump’s likely signature, though environmental groups argue the deal favors fossil fuels over clean energy.

Background

BAAJA follows years of stalled negotiations, including a failed vote before the 2026 midterms. Previous archive coverage highlighted concerns over NEPA’s fate and utility monopoly bypasses. The bill emerges amid a backdrop of Trump administration actions that NRDC claims could double power sector emissions and raise utility bills by $30 billion annually by 2035.

How outlets are covering it

NRDC praises the transmission reforms as 'once-in-a-generation' but condemns the environmental rollbacks as a 'fossil fuel wish-list.' Rep. Scott Peters supports the bill as a solution to a 'three-decade problem,' arguing clean energy wins despite compromises. Conservation Law Foundation’s Brad Campbell calls the timing 'indefensible,' arguing it precludes public input. Ford-backed groups endorse the bill, while Manchin expresses high confidence in its passage, viewing it as a bipartisan victory for grid modernization.

Why it matters

BAAJA could fundamentally reshape US energy infrastructure, accelerating clean energy deployment but potentially locking in fossil fuel dominance and eroding environmental safeguards. Its passage would set precedents for judicial remedies and tribal sovereignty, impacting future climate and energy policy for decades.

What to watch

Lawmakers are expected to vote in the lame-duck Congress after November elections. NRDC is seeking amendments to restore judicial remedies and environmental protections. Trump’s signature is anticipated, though his administration’s stance on clean energy remains a wildcard.