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AS OTHERS SEE IT
THE WASHINGTON POST
Emboldened by the scale of Democratic victories in the midterms, a small group of liberals is trying to blow up a carefully negotiated bipartisan agreement that would make it easier to build in America. Failure to pass this compromise during the lame-duck session would send a loud message that the incoming Democratic majorities aren't as serious about affordability as candidates said they were on the stump. And a deal this good for the economy is unlikely to materialize in the next Congress, which is why unions for the building trades and electricians are fighting to get it done.
Unfortunately, Hakeem Jeffries (D-New York), the presumptive next House speaker, wants to reopen negotiations. His spokesperson said on Thursday that the deal "falls short in several areas." Without expressing opposition, Jeffries's office said: "We must once again support the clean energy economy and combat the climate crisis with the fierce urgency of now."
Except the deal on the table is great for the environment. Democratic negotiators in the Senate consulted closely with their House counterparts. The agreement would make it much easier to build clean energy projects and the transmission lines needed to connect them to the grid. While some environmental groups criticize the compromise for reducing regulatory barriers to construct fossil fuel infrastructure, a recent analysis by the independent Rhodium Group concluded that the legislation would probably cut carbon emissions overall.
Given the soaring demand for energy, the reforms are necessary to boost production capacity and thereby lower electricity prices for Americans. The Rhodium analysis projects that if the bill passes, the average household would see its electricity bills drop $50 to $78 a year by 2040. The legislation also includes a provision obligating states to require large energy consumers, such as data centers, to pay for their electricity use.
Unfortunately, there is a potent "degrowth" faction inside the environmental movement for whom no deal would ever be good enough. These activists don't want to create enough supply to meet energy needs. They want to make it harder to build, in the hope that scarcity will force society to reduce consumption. Down that path lies national stagnation.
Other Democrats may want an agreement but see an opening to maximize leverage. Rep. Jared Huffman (D-California), poised to lead the House committee that oversees permitting reform, has argued for weeks that Democrats should hold out until next year to negotiate more favorable terms.
What these Democrats forget is that any deal in the next two years would require President Donald Trump's signature. Trump's announcement on Friday that Stephen Miller will replace Susie Wiles as White House chief of staff signals that the administration intends to take a confrontational approach to Capitol Hill. Selecting Miller bodes poorly for grand bipartisan dealmaking.
The path in the Senate could also become dicier if Democrats hold out for a better deal. Sixty votes would be needed, which requires Republican support. And several incoming Democratic senators, including James Talarico of Texas and Adam Hamilton of Kansas, hail from states with economies that depend on fossil fuels. Those senators might be joined by Mary Peltola of Alaska and Scott Colom of Mississippi, though they are in races that remain too close to call as of Friday night.
"It's a bird in the hand. We'd be fools not to take it," said Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-Rhode Island), one of the lead Democratic negotiators of the current deal.
The Trump administration on Friday attempted to shore up Democratic support for the package by advancing a handful of wind projects that had been held up for months under Pentagon review. That's an encouraging sign that the legislation is not doomed, but the move also illustrates why permitting reform is necessary. Politicians shouldn't be able to hold up energy projects at will and use them as bargaining chips.
Ultimately, this legislation is about unleashing the potential of American innovation from the grips of bureaucracy, which both parties have weaponized to block energy projects they don't like. Giving up that power may be uncomfortable, but that is the essence of compromise.
SCRIPTURE
For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands. For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline.
2 Timothy 1:6-7 NIV