Need a power line? That'll be $3B and 18 years.

Presented by NRDC: Your guide to the political forces shaping the energy transformation

Jun 21, 2023 View in browser   By Arianna Skibell Presented by NRDC Interior Secretary Deb Haaland (center left) and Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm (center right) arrive at a ceremony for the TransWest Express transmission line in Wyoming. | Jason Plautz/POLITICO's E&E News A 732-mile power line broke ground in Wyoming this week, paving the way for the country’s largest onshore wind project to send zero-carbon energy to California, Arizona and Nevada. While the $3 billion TransWest Express Transmission project marks a win for the Biden administration, it took nearly two decades to green-light, writes Jason Plautz. The delay (which is now old enough to vote) highlights a major challenge for grid projects: permitting. The process is complex and time-consuming, even for projects backed by the administration. Transmission lines that are powerful and big enough to transport energy from solar fields and wind farms to urban centers often cross federal, state, county and private land, necessitating approval from the government at each level. That can take years, to say nothing of cost. But meeting President Joe Biden’s goal of reaching net-zero power sector emissions by 2035 would require the country to grow its high-voltage transmission network by more than 50 percent, according to the Energy Department. The administration is working to identify key electric transmission corridors where it will be able to sidestep state opposition. And the White House and members of both parties in Congress continue to discuss ways to speed up federal permitting for energy projects. A Democratic proposal to upgrade transmission lines didn't make it into last month's debt ceiling proposal. Republicans instead agreed to a study on the issue. If the U.S. is unable to quickly build transmission, the nation’s clean-energy backlog will likely continue to grow. Over 2,000 gigawatts of solar, wind and battery storage projects are waiting to connect. That’s more power than the country’s current generating capacity, and more than six times larger than the bottleneck was in 2014. The TransWest project was first proposed in 2005 by Arizona’s largest utility. It entered the permitting pipeline two years later but only received its final notice to proceed last April. That’s despite former President Barack Obama designating the project as a priority in 2011. The power line is slated for completion in 2028. “It took way too long to get this permitted,” Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm said at a celebration of the project on Tuesday. “We all agree in the Biden administration that we need to accelerate these transmission lines.”   It's Wednesday — 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 askibell@eenews.net.   A message from NRDC: Strong EPA and DOT protections—like stronger vehicle pollution and efficiency standards and rules to cut power plant pollution—can help us reach our climate goals. Read how these safeguards can make President Biden’s climate commitments a reality.   Listen to today’s POLITICO Energy podcast Today in POLITICO Energy’s podcast: Catherine Morehouse breaks down why organized competitive power markets are drawing scrutiny and what sort of solutions lawmakers are proposing.   A message from NRDC:   Power Centers U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken (left) met Sunday with Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang (right) at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse in Beijing. Not a single member of Congress has visited China since the end of 2019. | Pool photo by Leah Millis No trips to China Not one member of Congress has visited China on official business in the six months since the country ended its pandemic-era travel restrictions, despite the need for bilateral engagement to address climate change and reduce military tensions, writes Corbin Hiar. U.S. lawmakers on both sides of the aisle are wary of directly interacting with Chinese Communist Party officials, for both practical and political reasons. GOP investigation continues Republicans said Tuesday that investigations into Hunter Biden’s energy industry dealings will continue despite a plea deal on other accusations, writes Timothy Cama. Hunter Biden, the son of President Joe Biden, agreed to plead guilty to two misdemeanor federal charges of failing to pay federal taxes, court records show. He is likely to avoid jail time. Climate movement outlawed The French government has criminalized a movement of climate activists following violent clashes with police that left hundreds injured, writes Louise Guillot. The Earth Uprising group, which has no clear leadership structure, vowed to battle the decision in court. It was set up in 2021 and counts more than 115,000 supporters. In Other News Climate-fueled disease: Peru extended a health emergency after recording 140,000 cases and at least 2,000 deaths in the country's largest dengue outbreak in history. Desert heat: Texas is calling for energy conservation as extreme heat spikes the state's electricity demand.   LISTEN TO POLITICO'S ENERGY PODCAST: Check out our daily five-minute brief on the latest energy and environmental politics and policy news. Don't miss out on the must-know stories, candid insights, and analysis from POLITICO's energy team. Listen today.     Subscriber Zone A showcase of some of our best subscriber content. Tropical Storm Bret chugs toward the eastern Caribbean as seen Tuesday via satellite. | NOAA via AP This year’s hurricane season is already breaking records with abnormally warm Atlantic temperatures and the early arrival of tropical storms. The Senate on Wednesday failed to override Biden’s veto of a resolution targeting an EPA proposal to slash toxic pollution from heavy-duty trucks. Electric vehicle maker Rivian has joined top automakers in planning to use Tesla's charging system, boosting the chances that the charging technology will become the national standard. That's it for today, folks! Thanks for reading.   A message from NRDC: Fighting the climate crisis can’t wait—and transportation and power plants are two of our country’s largest sources of climate pollution. The EPA and DOT can implement new, critical standards for vehicles and power plants to protect our health and climate. Learn more about how these protections can help us clean up our air and reach our climate goals.     STEP INSIDE THE WEST WING: What's really happening in West Wing offices? Find out who's up, who's down, and who really has the president’s ear in our West Wing Playbook newsletter, the insider's guide to the Biden White House and Cabinet. For buzzy nuggets and details that you won't find anywhere else, subscribe today.       Follow us on Twitter Arianna Skibell @ariannaskibell   Follow us

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