When John Podesta left his job as an adviser to President Barack Obama almost a decade ago, he believed that hundreds of miles of new power transmission lines would be installed in the Southwest, increasing the reach of clean energy throughout the region. Podesta, who returned to the federal government to work on climate issues for President Joe Biden, was astonished to learn last year that the lines had yet to be built and had not received final regulatory approval.
Permitting for power plants, transmission lines, and other projects has become one of Biden’s most vexing challenges as he pursues ambitious reductions in greenhouse gas emissions. Without streamlined permitting processes, the country will not have the infrastructure required for a future powered by carbon-free electricity.
The Dilemma of Permitting
The issue of permitting surfaced last year during discussions with Sen. Joe Manchin, a West Virginia Democrat who was a critical vote for the Inflation Reduction Act, comprehensive legislation that includes financial incentives for clean energy. Manchin advocated a separate proposal to make it easier to construct infrastructure for renewable energy and fossil fuels, with a focus on the Mountain Valley Pipeline, which would transport natural gas through his home state.
Republicans labelled the legislation a “political payoff,” while liberal Democrats referred to it as a “dirty side deal.” Manchin’s idea never came to fruition, but it put the issue of permitting bottlenecks on the map.
Since then, there have been several proposals to relieve permitting bottlenecks. House Republicans passed their own proposals as part of budget legislation last month to increase oil, natural gas, and coal production. Sen. Tom Carper, D-Del., recently proposed another proposal focused on clean energy.
Despite widespread interest in permitting changes, reaching an agreement will most likely involve trade-offs that are difficult for Democrats and environmentalists to accept. Republicans want to see more fossil fuels, and no proposal will progress without their approval now that they control the house. However, too many concessions to Republicans in the House could endanger support in the Democratic-controlled Senate.
Biden’s Vision for Hard-Hat Environmentalism
Biden’s hard-hat environmentalism vision promises that moving away from fossil fuels will create blue-collar jobs. “We have to start building things again in America,” Podesta said. “We got too good at stopping things, and not good enough at building things.”
It represents a significant change for a movement that has been more dedicated to slowing development than championing it, causing unease among long-term allies while creating the potential for new partnerships. This shift is crucial to Biden’s vision for hard-hat environmentalism.
Despite Biden’s approval of the Willow oil drilling project in Alaska, which has irritated environmentalists, Podesta believes that it is impossible to phase out oil and gas immediately. He believes that the status quo is insufficient when it comes to constructing clean energy infrastructure.
Conclusion
The issue of permitting is critical to ensuring that the United States has the infrastructure needed for a future powered by carbon-free electricity. Reaching an agreement would be difficult and would require trade-offs that are difficult for Democrats and environmentalists to accept. However, Biden’s vision of hard-hat environmentalism offers the promise of new partnerships and blue-collar jobs. The environmental movement is facing a significant shift, and some organizations may continue to resist development. Nonetheless, there is bipartisan interest in the issue of permitting, and there is hope that a deal can be reached.
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