Martin Heinrich pushes bill to speed up energy permits in Albuquerque
U.S. Sen. Martin Heinrich promoted legislation in Albuquerque to accelerate approvals for large power projects. The measure intends to cut review timelines from decades down to years across the nation. Heinrich said the federal government uses a “broken” system to approve major energy developments.
The New Mexico Democrat co-sponsored the bipartisan “American Affordability and Jobs Act” alongside several Republican senators. Heinrich spoke to workers at the ABB elastimold manufacturing plant in Albuquerque on Monday to discuss the measure. Faster approvals could yield 21,000 jobs and $5 billion in economic activity in New Mexico, Heinrich said.
Heinrich pointed to the recently finished SunZia electric transmission line. That venture took roughly 17 years to complete due to permitting disputes. He said crews could have finished the project in a third of that time.
States would receive the first chance to map where power lines go under the proposal. “The states are the first to be able to step up and figure out where the lines should go, and if they can’t do that in a fixed period of time, then there is a backstop process at the federal energy regulatory commission to get that done,” said Sen. Heinrich.
Power demand from data centers requires more clean energy generation to protect households, Heinrich said. Large energy consumers must cover their own grid costs directly. “If you are a large load, whether that’s a factory or a data center, you have to pay your own freight. You have to pay for the increased cost that you brought to the grid. You cannot pass that along to consumers.”
Lawmakers introduced the proposal in late September. Sponsors are not yet confident the legislation has enough votes to pass, Heinrich said. Heinrich is holding meetings with manufacturers, labor unions and utility operators to build broader support.
Federal energy regulators oversee interstate electricity transmission and natural gas infrastructure. Congressional bills must clear committee reviews and floor votes before moving to the president. Lawmakers often revise regulatory rules to balance development with environmental oversight.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune is working to schedule a floor vote on the bill on November 9. Heinrich said that date marks the first Monday following the midterm elections.
