Does 'The Manchin Show' have a final encore left?

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May 15, 2024 View in browser   By Arianna Skibell Presented by Williams Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) arrives for a vote at the Capitol. | Francis Chung/POLITICO Joe Manchin’s time in the Senate is running out. But he isn’t giving up on his energy permitting swan song, despite unfavorable odds as November’s election approaches. The soon-to-be-retired West Virginia Democrat is insisting a big, bipartisan permitting bill is still on the table even after Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) said it ain’t gonna happen anytime soon, reports Kelsey Brugger and Nico Portuondo. Partisan tension over permitting legislation deepened this week after federal energy regulators released a rule that seeks to build out the nation’s clean energy infrastructure. Democrats cheered the highly anticipated Federal Energy Regulatory Commission policy to bring longer-term regional planning to the electric grid. But infuriated Republicans argued that energy customers will endure steeper costs because of the effort to build long-distance high-voltage lines to carry more wind and solar power. On a call to celebrate the rule, Schumer said a compromise bill with Republicans to speed up project approvals for both clean power and fossil fuel projects is “virtually impossible.” He accused GOP lawmakers of being unwilling to budge.  While Sen. John Barrasso has for months said he’s working with Manchin on a deal, the Wyoming Republican has been reluctant to compromise. And while the GOP supports amending environmental laws to speed up energy project approvals, it is unlikely Republicans are interested in handing Democrats a win before the election. In an interview with POLITICO’s E&E News, Manchin downplayed the partisan divisions that the new FERC rule has inflamed. “People think this fixes everything. It really doesn’t,” Manchin said about the rule. He added, “Everybody we’ve been working with understands you’ve got to have permitting reform.” Manchin spoke just hours before the Republican who aims to succeed him, Gov. Jim Justice, won a commanding victory in Tuesday’s West Virginia primary. Uncharacteristically, Manchin’s position that legislative action is still needed echoes that of his party’s more progressive members. While she applauded FERC’s new rule, New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D) urged Congress to pass two of her bills that aim to unleash more clean power, POLITICO’s Morning Energy reports. “While our legislation is still needed in the face of a worsening climate crisis, each and every time we move the needle it matters,” she said. Colorado Democratic Sen. John Hickenlooper called the FERC rule “a Band-Aid on Congress’ inaction” and said two bills he has introduced would do far more to update the grid. “FERC has done what they can, but Congress has to act,” he said in a statement. Biden administration officials have also said legislation would be welcome. “We’re still hopeful there’s something going on over on the Hill,” the Energy Department’s Maria Robinson said at a U.S. Chamber of Commerce event. But barring serious concessions from both sides of the aisle, it seems unlikely Manchin will get his wish. Perhaps things will change “after the election,” Schumer said.   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 Williams: Williams has been powering America with clean natural gas for more than a century, so we know what it takes to safely fuel progress. We can move toward a clean energy future while meeting rising energy demands—which is why we continue to invest in reliable, low-carbon clean energy projects that will help lower emissions nationwide and globally. The path to sustainability will be powered by experience—and experience powers us.   Listen to today’s POLITICO Energy podcast Today in POLITICO Energy’s podcast: Gavin Bade breaks down how the Biden administration’s new tariffs on Chinese imports will affect various energy industries — and the politics behind the decision.   A message from Williams:   Power Centers President Joe Biden arrives at the Rose Garden at the White House on Tuesday. | Susan Walsh/AP How tariffs threaten Biden’s climate goals President Joe Biden's new tariffs on Chinese-made clean energy imports probably jeopardize the United States’ goal of slashing climate pollution in half within six years, analysts say. And the move could hasten climate change tipping points that might intensify already dangerous temperatures, write Scott Waldman, Jean Chemnick and Benjamin Storrow. The action comes as inexpensive Asian imports are driving a boom in renewable energy installations across the U.S. Even with that surge, the country is at risk of missing Biden’s 2030 climate goals due to the prevalence of gasoline cars and an electric grid that’s largely powered by fossil fuels. California Republicans love EVs GOP lawmakers in Sacramento missed former President Donald Trump’s memo that Republicans should hate electric vehicles. Instead, they are supporting legislation aimed at improving California’s charging network and expanding state incentives for low-income car buyers, writes Alex Nieves. The reason is simple: Their constituents like Teslas and other EV brands and want the state to invest in charging stations. Netherlands government takes sharp right turn Unless there’s a last-minute hitch, the country’s next government will be made up of Geert Wilders’ far-right Party for Freedom, two center-right groups and the populist Farmer-Citizen Movement, writes Eva Hartog. However, Wilders has not announced a pick for prime minister, hinting at ongoing disagreement about who should lead the Dutch. In Other News Business: Microsoft has imposed new climate requirement on suppliers in an effort to lower its emissions. Public health: Months after the Maui fires, residents report troubling health problems.   THE GOLD STANDARD OF ENERGY POLICY REPORTING & INTELLIGENCE: POLITICO has more than 500 journalists delivering unrivaled reporting and illuminating the policy and regulatory landscape for those who need to know what’s next. Throughout the election and the legislative and regulatory pushes that will follow, POLITICO Pro is indispensable to those who need to make informed decisions fast. The Pro platform dives deeper into critical and quickly evolving sectors and industries, like energy, equipping policymakers and those who shape legislation and regulation with essential news and intelligence from the world’s best politics and policy journalists. Our newsroom is deeper, more experienced, and better sourced than any other. Our energy reporting team—including Ben Lefebvre, Alex Guillen and Kelsey Tamborrino—is embedded with the market-moving legislative committees and agencies in Washington and across states, delivering unparalleled coverage of energy policy and the energy industry. We bring subscribers inside the conversations that determine policy outcomes and the future of industries, providing insight that cannot be found anywhere else. Get the premier news and policy intelligence service, SUBSCRIBE TO POLITICO PRO TODAY.     Subscriber Zone A showcase of some of our best subscriber content. A large plume of smoke rises over East Palestine, Ohio, after a controlled detonation of a portion of a derailed Norfolk Southern train on Feb. 6, 2023. | Gene J. Puskar/AP A former EPA contractor alleges the agency grossly mismanaged its chemical detection technology in the days following the fiery train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio, leading to inconclusive data and falsified information. Trump will travel to the U.S. oil capital next week for a luncheon with around two dozen energy industry executives. On the menu: another fundraising pitch. Kristi Noem would hire John Kerry as climate “czar” on her first day as president, just so she could fire him, the South Dakota Republican governor wrote in her recent autobiography. Less than a year after passing a clean energy standard, Michigan lawmakers are debating tax breaks for some of the biggest energy users in the country: data centers. That's it for today, folks! Thanks for reading.   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.       A message from Williams: At Williams, our experience speaks for itself. We have a 116-year history of turning innovation into action, continually transforming ourselves to protect the communities around us and help America meet rising energy demand with secure and affordable natural gas. That know-how has taught us the importance of prioritizing safety and reliability and drives our investments in emissions-reducing technologies. We are pioneering the next generation of trust and transparency through our NextGen Gas strategy, which provides low-emissions natural gas that has been securely tracked and independently certified. Our commitment to clean energy projects helps us deliver one third of the nation’s natural gas across 33,000 miles of energy infrastructure, while prioritizing safety and sustainability at every step. Together, we can reliably and affordably power the world while ushering in a clean energy future, because experience powers us.     Follow us on Twitter Arianna Skibell @ariannaskibell   Follow us

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