Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV) signed onto the falsely named Inflation Reduction Act in part because he claimed he was getting an energy permitting deal that was helpful to the energy industry. However, there was no guarantee that he was going to get the backend of the deal.
The 1935 Federal Power Act preserved state authority over transmission-line permits while the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) decides how to allocate costs.
- The bill gives FERC the power to permit an interstate transmission line if the Energy Secretary says it promotes "national energy policy" or the ability of "intermittent energy to connect to the electric grid."
- FERC could override states and approve a line merely because it reduces CO2 emissions or encourages renewable power.
This gives the government even more power to force a transition - whether it makes sense or not, whether it is reliable or not - and make the states pay for it
- It doesn't balance off the IRA - it makes it even worse.
- Hopefully, the Republicans have enough sense not to sign aboard this.
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