Climate Bill Targets Transmission to Unjam Clean Energy Backlog
Other industry watchers, however, argued that further subsidies for clean energy and transmission—without any final regulatory actions from FERC—could wind up sticking taxpayers with a bad deal.
“Clean energy suffers from a kinked regulatory hose—subsidies, including those in the IRA, mostly increase the pressure in the hose,” said Devin Hartman, director of energy and environmental policy at the R Street Institute, a free-market research organization in Washington.
There’s no lack of interest in building transmission or clean energy projects, he said. Rather, more competition should occur in building those connecting lines.
“Policymakers should prioritize overhauling generator interconnection and transmission regulation to achieve far greater emissions cuts,” Hartman said. “This would also benefit the economy, whereas most of IRA’s subsidies risk carrying costs that exceed benefits.”
