1. United States
2. Ind.
3. Letter

Dear Representative, I urge you to oppose the Bipartisan American Affordability and Jobs Act of 2026 (S.5653) unless it is amended to protect our national public lands from industrial data center development. The bill's ratepayer protections have merit. It would require owners of data centers drawing more than 20 MW from the grid to pay for the associated grid upgrade costs. But those protections do not justify the provisions that would accelerate data center construction on lands owned by every American. My concerns: • Weakened review. The bill's primary purpose is to expedite permitting for energy-related projects, including data center infrastructure, by scaling back environmental and judicial reviews. • Permits locked in permanently. Section 1401 states that agencies shall not revoke, rescind, suspend, or alter any federal permit in effect on or after September 16, 2026, with few exceptions. Approvals made in haste would become nearly impossible for future administrations to correct. • No pause allowed. Section 1402 bans the ability to pause projects such as data centers on public lands for closer analysis of impacts to communities and natural and cultural resources. • The pressure is real. The administration's executive order encouraging data centers on federal land has already drawn interest in large projects on Interior Department acreage in Arizona, Idaho, Nevada, Oregon, and Utah. • The public doesn't want this. Recent polls show Democrats, Republicans, and independents strongly oppose data centers being built in their communities. Public lands belong to the public, for recreation, conservation, hunting, and access. Once paved over for server farms and the power plants that feed them, they will not come back. I ask that you: 1 Vote no on S.5653 in its current form. 2 Demand removal of Sections 1401 and 1402. 3 Exclude data centers on public lands from the bill's expedited permitting provisions. 4 Support a moratorium on data centers on federal lands until the public has a real say. 5 Preserve the ratepayer protections in any final permitting package. Sincerely, 
A Voting Constituent