Why This Long-Sought, Bipartisan Senate Deal Has Environmentalists Feuding

The impending lame duck session of Congress after November's midterm elections could prove significant for clean energy, as lawmakers prepare to tackle a long-desired bipartisan deal aimed at expediting the permitting process for major energy and infrastructure projects. Environmental advocates and policy experts see this legislation as a crucial opportunity to address a significant obstacle in clean energy development – lengthy delays in connecting new projects to the power grid.

However, the bill has already sparked internal disagreements among environmentalists, with some contending that it would undermine state and tribal governments' power, as well as facilitate the approval of fossil fuel pipelines and other environmentally harmful projects.

This conflict is not unprecedented, as similar tensions arose during the debates over the 2021 Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act and the Inflation Reduction Act in 2022 under President Joe Biden. Rob Gramlich, president of Grid Strategies and a consultant specializing in federal energy issues, describes the bill as a significant step forward for renewable energy due to its technology-neutral provisions, enabling the development of tens of gigawatts of clean energy that would otherwise face obstacles in connecting to the grid.

Pete Wyckoff, vice president of policy for environmental advocacy group Evergreen Action, also supports the bill's provisions aimed at streamlining interstate power line construction and clean energy projects, but remains undecided on other aspects of the legislation.

Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), ranking member of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, expressed optimism about the bill's potential impact, stating that it would flood the grid with clean, affordable energy and make data centers contribute their fair share to the nation's energy needs. However, some Senate members with prominent climate change records have also co-authored the measure, emphasizing their belief that it will result in a brighter, cleaner, and more affordable future for the nation.

Despite the bipartisan support, the bill faces challenges, particularly in securing sufficient Democratic votes in the Senate, given opposition from certain environmentalists. Historical examples, such as the Superfund toxic waste clean-up bill in 1980 and the creation of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration in 1970, demonstrate that lame duck sessions can yield compromises that would not be possible in regular legislative sessions.

Nonetheless, the success of this permitting deal will depend on the ability to garner bipartisan support and avoid accusations of betraying environmental values.