The US Senate is expected to hold a procedural vote on the Bipartisan American Affordability and Jobs Act of 2026 (BAAJA) immediately after lawmakers return from recess. The bill would make major changes in the process for approving energy projects in the US, especially transmission projects. I assume this would affect BHE directly, and would affect other BRK subs indirectly.

From Axios:
"Driving the news: A new, interactive analysis out on Wednesday projects potentially huge time savings if the bill becomes law. Transmission projects could see the biggest acceleration, per Jack Andreasen Cavanaugh, a researcher with Columbia's energy think tank. He based it on historical data about a large number of specific projects, then estimated how much quicker they would have proceeded under the bill. Columbia's Center on Global Energy Policy doesn't have an institutional position on the bill, but founding director Jason Bordoff, a prominent voice in energy policy circles, is urging environmentalists not to oppose it."
"The Edison Electric Institute, a powerful group of for-profit utilities, still hasn't weighed in. But David Pomerantz, who's with the progressive Energy & Policy Institute obtained an Oklahoma Gas & Electric document criticizing the transmission provisions."
axios.com - Permitting bill critical stretch

NRDC apparently likes the transmission provisions in the bill, but wants some changes made before a floor vote, so it is witholding a final position. nrdc.org - Nrdc assessment baaja permitting transmission bill

As far as I can tell, BRK has not commented.

I know there is a lot of energy expertise on this board, and I'm curious what people think. Is the bill likely to pass, and if so, what will it mean for the US energy business in general, and BHE in particular? How serious are the environmental trade-offs?

abromber