A bipartisan group of U.S. senators introduced the 417-page Bipartisan American Affordability and Jobs Act, or BAAJA, to reduce permitting delays for energy and infrastructure projects. The bill would require lawsuits against approved projects to be filed within 150 days and generally limit eligibility to public commenters and people facing direct harm. It would narrow some Clean Water Act and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) objections, alter the Endangered Species Act’s best-available-science standard, expand the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission’s (FERC) authority to approve power lines when states do not, and require consolidated regional transmission planning. BAAJA would protect permits issued before Sept. 16 except in limited circumstances and require large data centers to pay incremental electricity and grid-upgrade costs. Energy, business and some clean-energy groups support the proposal, while environmental advocates and some Democrats warn it could weaken safeguards; passage remains uncertain.