On July 22, 2024, Senators Joe Manchin (I-WV) and John Barrasso (R-WY) on the Senate Energy Committee introduced long overdue legislation to speed up the process of permitting power transmission, mining, and liquefied natural gas exports. [1] They suggest that this bill would not only strengthen the power grid but also keep power prices low. Building transmission capacity would help cities access electricity that originates from renewable power projects that have received financial support from Biden’s 2022 Inflation Reduction Act. Almost 2,000 MW of clean energy is ready for grid connection. The bill would speed up the process to reach the Biden administration’s goal of decarbonizing the US power sector by 2035. It also creates more opportunities for companies to bid on oil and gas leasing after 2025. Furthermore, the legislation allows a 90-day period for a secretary of energy to approve or reject liquefied natural gas export applications and ends Biden’s pause on their approvals. It would help unlock mining for minerals such as copper, that are used in transmission, renewable energy, and energy storage. Despite these factors, the bill’s future is not guaranteed due to election-year uncertainty and potential opposition to measures that support fossil fuel.
Manchin referred to the bill as a “commonsense, bipartisan piece of legislation that will speed up permitting” and provide certainty for energy projects “without bypassing important protections for our environment and impacted communities.” Barrasso stated, "For far too long, Washington’s disastrous permitting system has shackled American energy production and punished families in Wyoming and across our country" and “Congress must step in and fix this process."