One of the most critical (albeit unsexy) tasks for securing the nation’s energy future — whether with clean power or fossil fuels — is issuing permits for energy infrastructure projects. No projects? No power. But President-elect Donald Trump’s victory further complicates an already fraught and prolonged negotiation on Capitol Hill meant to speed up the permitting process. Getting a permit for an energy project can take years — almost 20, in some instances. After scores of false starts and Republican opposition, independent Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia and Republican Sen. John Barrasso of Wyoming came up with a compromise plan that garnered considerable GOP support, even if it seemed unlikely during this Congress. Now, it’s most likely doomed, writes Kelsey Brugger. “I don’t really see a path forward,” a Senate Republican aide granted anonymity to speak freely told Kelsey. “I don’t see there being much of an appetite on it.” It’s not as though Democratic lawmakers were thrilled with the measure. Many argued it included too many giveaways to the oil and gas industry that would further hurt communities already plagued by pollution. But with Republicans slated to take control of the White House and Senate, they are probably free to craft new legislation in 2025 that offers an even greater boost to oil and gas permitting without making any concessions to Democrats and their clean power provisions. (TBD whether House Democrats will amass enough power to thwart them). The provisions the Democrats favor largely aimed to streamline the buildout of long-range power lines, which often face opposition from the many states and communities they cross. New transmission infrastructure is needed not only to carry solar and wind power from rural areas to city centers — and meet the nation’s climate goals — but also to shore up reliability and resilience. Without it, the electric grid could increasingly fail to keep the lights on during more frequent and intensified storms and other climate-fueled disasters. Some Republican lawmakers get that, said Devin Hartman, a director at the right-leaning R Street Institute. “You are starting to see some Republicans appreciate the reliability lens,” he said. But by and large, Republican lawmakers are not interested in advancing provisions associated with addressing climate change if they don’t have to. And it’s likely they won’t. That, of course, is bad news for a livable planet. Current policies and pledges by governments across the world are falling alarmingly short of what is needed to stave off the worst of climate change. A recent United Nations report found that the odds of limiting warming to the most ambitious goal outlined in the 2015 Paris Agreement are likely zero.
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