I’ll be interviewing an expert today on the ins and outs of the highly touted Bipartisan American Affordability and Jobs Act (BAAJA).
The bill has bipartisan support, as it has goodies for both the climate and clean energy left, and the blood, death, war and corruption fossil fuel right. (see what I did there?) The bet that clean energy advocates like Senator Sheldon Whitehouse are making is that with less permitting friction, renewables win.
One area of leverage for the greenies has been withholding their support unless the Trump administration backs off its irrational hatred for clean energy projects, especially wind, especially offshore wind. As seen above, the administration is sending mixed signals.
- The Pentagon has a queue of around 400 onshore wind projects awaiting approval, but lacks sufficient staffing to address the issue, said Dale Marks, assistant secretary of defense for energy, installations, and environment, in a Nov. 3 legal filing. with the U.S. District Court for the District of Oregon.
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Windpower Monthly reports that Democratic leaders have dismissed Trump’s recent statements as the ravings of a dying lunatic, and are moving forward. The Senate voted 73–25 this week to advance the bill as is to a full debate.
Prior to that vote, the administration had moved at least 21 onshore projects, mostly repowering, forward, while some 289 projects remain mired in permitting.
Following that vote, and the President’s comments, Senator Angus King of Maine said, “The president made an unfortunate statement this afternoon about wind power that undermines my confidence in the good faith of the administration, so that will influence my vote as well”. Senator Adam Schiff of California expressed similar sentiments, according to Politico.
“I think it’s a pretty clear indication that he has not changed course in any way when it comes to renewable energy, and any wiggle room left in the bill to prioritize oil and gas over renewables he’ll make full use of,” Schiff said on the Senate floor.