Clean energy loves the permitting bill. Green groups hate it.
It’s really hard to build infrastructure in America. And it’s particularly hard for clean energy, which is overwhelmingly stalled by outdated and onerous permitting.
But we have never been able to get to the root of the problem. And that’s why a new bipartisan federal permitting bill is such a big deal.
The bill sets hard deadlines for environmental reviews, limits lawsuits, and makes it harder for a president to block permitting processes. It also gives federal regulators new authority to approve transmission and open up markets to distributed resources. And it puts the cost of grid upgrades squarely on large data centers.
For builders in clean energy, it's a deal they've been dreaming about for years. For many green groups, it's a deal with the devil that will overwhelmingly benefit fossil fuels. Why is there such a deep split?
This week, Jane Flegal joins the show to talk about how permitting reform is taking shape. We’ll explore the details, the debates, and the trade-offs.
Then, we’ll revisit President Trump’s ratepayer protection plan. Tech companies and utilities signed onto the White House's pledge with great fanfare, but critics say it hasn’t worked at all. Can the permitting bill bring some needed accountability to the plan?
Open Circuit is brought to you by EnergyHub. EnergyHub works with more than 230 utilities to coordinate over 2.6 million DERs and more than 3.6 gigawatts of dispatchable flexibility through a single platform designed to perform when it counts most. See what that looks like at EnergyHub.com.
Open Circuit is brought to you by Giving Green. Giving Green researches the climate nonprofits best positioned for the next big climate win, and sends 100% of every dollar donated to the Giving Green Fund to them. Make your first gift before 2027, and it’s matched up to $500. Go to GivingGreen.earth/Circuit or select Open Circuit at checkout.
Open Circuit is brought to you by Everyday Electric. Everyday Electric simplifies savings at home, helping support a more reliable, affordable grid. Operating the country’s largest residential VPP, it coordinates 6+ GW of capacity across connected products. Learn more at everydayelectric.com.
But we have never been able to get to the root of the problem. And that’s why a new bipartisan federal permitting bill is such a big deal.
The bill sets hard deadlines for environmental reviews, limits lawsuits, and makes it harder for a president to block permitting processes. It also gives federal regulators new authority to approve transmission and open up markets to distributed resources. And it puts the cost of grid upgrades squarely on large data centers.
For builders in clean energy, it's a deal they've been dreaming about for years. For many green groups, it's a deal with the devil that will overwhelmingly benefit fossil fuels. Why is there such a deep split?
This week, Jane Flegal joins the show to talk about how permitting reform is taking shape. We’ll explore the details, the debates, and the trade-offs.
Then, we’ll revisit President Trump’s ratepayer protection plan. Tech companies and utilities signed onto the White House's pledge with great fanfare, but critics say it hasn’t worked at all. Can the permitting bill bring some needed accountability to the plan?
Open Circuit is brought to you by EnergyHub. EnergyHub works with more than 230 utilities to coordinate over 2.6 million DERs and more than 3.6 gigawatts of dispatchable flexibility through a single platform designed to perform when it counts most. See what that looks like at EnergyHub.com.
Open Circuit is brought to you by Giving Green. Giving Green researches the climate nonprofits best positioned for the next big climate win, and sends 100% of every dollar donated to the Giving Green Fund to them. Make your first gift before 2027, and it’s matched up to $500. Go to GivingGreen.earth/Circuit or select Open Circuit at checkout.
Open Circuit is brought to you by Everyday Electric. Everyday Electric simplifies savings at home, helping support a more reliable, affordable grid. Operating the country’s largest residential VPP, it coordinates 6+ GW of capacity across connected products. Learn more at everydayelectric.com.
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