Environmental and consumer rights activists gathered outside Senator Chuck Schumer's Park Slope residence on Friday to protest pending legislation. The group is demanding that the Senate Majority Leader block a bill designed to accelerate the construction of large-scale data centers.
How the BAAJA bill expands FERC's regulatory reach
The proposed legislation, known as the BAAJA, seeks to grant the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) significantly more authority to fast-track the construction of pipelines and fossil fuel projects. According to the report, these projects are intended to provide the massive energy loads required by new data facilities. By centralizing approval at the federal level,the BAAJA bill would allow the government to bypass the state and local zoning laws that communities have traditionally used to block industrial developments.
This regulatory shift is particularly contentious because the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission is currently led by an appointee of President Trump.. Critics argue that this centralization of power effectively guts environmental protections and undermines the sovereignty of tribal nations over their own natural resources. Furthermore, the report says the BAAJA legislation would limit the ability of private citizens to challenge these developments in court, removing a primary legal tool used to stop polluting projects.
Senator Sheldon Whitehouse's $12.3 million AI stock portfolio
The BAAJA bill is being championed by Senator Sheldon Whitehouse of Rhodeania, who serves as the ranking member of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee. However, financial disclosures have sparked a debate over potential conflicts of interest. As the source reported, Senator Sheldon Whitehouse holds the highest volume of data center-related investments of any U.S. senator, with assets estimated between $2.1 million and $8.6 million.
Beyond direct data center holdings, Senator Sheldon Whitehouse and his wife hold up to $12.3 million in stocks related to artificial intelligence, including major technology firms and operators of data centers.. This financial alignment has led activists to question whether the push for federal fast-tracking is driven by public utility or the personal portfolios of the bill's sponsors.
The 43 out of 44 ballot initiatives rejecting data centers
The push for the BAAJA bill arrives during a period of intense grassroots resistance to Big Tech infrastructure. Recent electoral data suggests a massive disconnect between Senate leadership and the electorate; 43 out of 44 recent ballot initiatives proposing to pause or ban data center construction have passed. This trend is evident in candidates like Abdul El-Sayed in Michigan, who gained significant traction by campaigning against the environmental degradation and rising energy costs associated with these facilities.
This resistance is not theoretical, as seen in communities like Kenilworth, New Jersey, where local opposition successfully halted project developments. Because of these local victories, the tech industry is now reportedly eyeing public lands as a strategic workaround. Jim Walsh, the policy director at Food & Water Watch, argues that lawmakers are ignoring a clear public rebuke of Big Tech's expansionist goals.
Will Chuck Schumer break his silene before Monday's vote?
The immediate future of the BAAJA legislation depends on a critical procedural vote scheduled for Monday, which requires Democratic support to move forward. While activists from groups such as 350 Brooklyn, Climate Families NYC, and Indivisible Brooklyn have staged vocal demonstrations at his home, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer has not yet publicly stated his position on the bill.
Several key questions remain unanswered as the vote approaches. It is unclear whether Senator Chuck Schumer intends to align with Senator Sheldon Whitehouse or if he will succumb to the pressure from the coalition of climate and consumer rights groups. Additionally, the source does not specify which specific "blank check" powers the bill grants to corporations, nor does it provide a response from the technology companies that stand to benefit from the FERC expansion.
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