One agency’s decisions could make or break clean energy deployment at the heart of President Joe Biden’s $369 billion climate law.
And that agency, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, is at a crossroads.
As POLITICO reporter Catherine Morehouse notes in a story today, FERC Chair Richard Glick — who has been advancing an ambitious climate agenda on the five-member panel that regulates power markets and natural gas infrastructure — may be out of a job by year’s end.
Glick’s fate will be decided by the divided Senate, where West Virginia Democrat Joe Manchin leads the committee that oversees FERC and vets its nominees. Glick and Manchin don’t see eye to eye.
Glick floated a new pipeline policy earlier this year that could tank a project if it emits too much planet-warming carbon. Rejecting pipelines more frequently would be a stark reversal for an agency that, in its 45-year history, has denied less than 1 percent of projects out of more than 400 proposed.
The proposal drew Manchin’s ire. And after the blowback, the commission quickly withdrew it for further study. The move appeared to appease Manchin, who recently told POLITICO’s E&E News reporter Nico Portuondo that Glick has been making “some better decisions.”
That last development could bode well for the chair’s future job prospects. Then again, Manchin has not yet scheduled a confirmation hearing, four months after Biden nominated Glick to retain his FERC gavel.
Another term for Glick would give him more time to knock items off his long to-do list, which includes preparing the grid to receive electricity from wind, solar and other clean energy resources, and expanding environmental reviews for new pipelines and liquefied natural gas terminals.
Whether Glick can make progress on those fronts will depend on Manchin. It’s worth noting that Biden managed to secure the Energy and Natural Resources Committee chair’s support for the climate law on the condition that Senate Democrats ease permitting requirements for energy infrastructure, not expand them.
Thank goodness it’s Friday — thank you for tuning in to POLITICO’s Power Switch. I’m your host, Arianna Skibell. Power Switch is brought to you by the journalists behind E&E News and POLITICO Energy. Send your tips, comments, questions to [email protected]
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Climate defense
The Defense Department has been stress-testing Army and Air Force bases across the country to prepare for extended power outages caused by climate disasters, writes Daniel Cusick.
The drills, called “energy resilience readiness exercises,” have occurred at five Army installations and 10 Air Force bases over the last two years, including most recently three bases in Colorado.
New tests for a new grid
An unusual outdoor laboratory in Massachusetts is testing the weaknesses and breaking points of future power equipment, writes Peter Behr.
The growth of wind and solar power makes grid operations harder to control, and electric vehicles create new operating complexity. Plus, there’s the growing threat of extreme weather.
Winter is coming
In an effort to shore up its oil supply, Germany has transferred control of one of its Russian oil subsidiaries to the state, writes Charlie Cooper.
The company, Rosneft, is sure to be disrupted by EU sanctions on Russia that will soon go into effect. The move will help Berlin continue to use the refinery for crude imported from non-Russian sources.
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Second chances: At old coal mines, the American chestnut tree tries for a comeback.
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A new analysis found that climate change likely worsened Pakistan’s devastating floods.
The new climate law aims to boost energy storage technology, but ongoing supply chain and grid interconnection issues could spell trouble.
Biden’s EV credit may do more to damage the World Trade Organization than anything his predecessor did.
That’s it for today, folks. Thanks for reading, and have a great weekend!
