WASHINGTON, D.C.–People’s Action today urged senators to vote “no” on S. 5653, legislation that would accelerate the construction of data centers powered by fossil fuels. While the Bipartisan American Affordability and Jobs Act of 2026 would boost clean energy production and lower energy bills, it goes too far in rolling back environmental protections and ultimately increasing the buildout of fossil fuel infrastructure and data centers. By making it easier to rapidly build out the massive fossil fuel energy infrastructure necessary to feed hyperscale data centers, the bill would ultimately facilitate their construction. The Senate voted on Monday, Nov. 9, to open debate on the bill but a final vote on the legislation is still pending.
“After last Tuesday, what senator in their right mind would vote to speed up data center construction and enrich Big Tech and fossil fuel CEOs?” People’s Action Climate Justice Campaign Director Victoria Kaplan said. “We don’t need to compromise with Elon or Exxon to build clean energy projects.”
Prior to Election Day, polls showed that three-quarters of Americans opposed data centers in their communities, and Republicans were warned that support for data center projects would be catastrophic for their Senate campaigns. Meanwhile, 80 percent of independents and 83 percent of Democrats oppose local data center construction.
The legislation, in an effort to compromise between those who want to make it easier to permit clean energy and those in Big Oil’s pocket, is overbroad and unnecessary. As drafted, S. 5653 would make it faster and easier to build hyperscale data centers on federal public lands, brownfields, and Superfund sites. The bill would fast-track federal permits for interstate gas pipelines, transmission lines, and other data center infrastructure. And, the bill’s provisions would gut Clean Water Act protections, shore up fracked gas profits, and limit the incoming Congress’ ability to slow down the buildout of hyperscale data centers on federal lands.
“The new majority can draft and pass better legislation,” People’s Action Director of Federal Affairs Megan Essaheb said. “We need to build out our clean energy grid, stop utility company price gouging for fossil fuel infrastructure, and stop Big Tech’s data center buildout. Passing a bill that would hinder the new Congress from doing these things is contrary to the mandate that the American people just gave Democrats.”
Over the past year, People’s Action state-based affiliates mobilized to stop the development of new AI data centers in Pennsylvania, Indiana, New York, and West Virginia, citing massive energy consumption, environmental harm, and higher utility bills.
“Most people of every race and kind of community believe that we deserve to have a say in what’s built in our communities and that we have a right to clean water, clean air, and safety from climate disasters,” Kaplan added. “This bill undermines those rights. Senators should vote no.”