Illustration: Annelise Capossela/Axios
Two of Democrats' leading transmission policy proposals show just how difficult it will be to strike any additional permitting deal in this Congress.
Why it matters: The BIG WIRES Act and the forthcoming Clean Electricity and Transmission Acceleration Act are the bills to watch if Congress can do anything on this issue.
- But they already face GOP opposition and a narrow political window.
State of play: Sen. John Hickenlooper and Rep. Scott Peters formally introduced BIG WIRES last month (after trying to get their draft proposal tacked on to this summer's debt deal).
- But they haven't won any open support from Republicans, who generally laud their effort but say they can't back the bill as written because they think it sets unrealistic standards.
- Meanwhile, Rep. Sean Casten said he and Rep. Mike Levin had initially wanted to introduce CETA last week but held off so it didn't get buried in the spending drama.
- Casten said he expects "dozens" of Democratic cosponsors.
Zoom in: BIG WIRES would require that different regions of the grid be able to transfer at least 30% of their peak load elsewhere.
- The idea is to ensure reliability and spur construction of the interregional power lines needed to transport renewable power around the country.
- But Republicans think that 30% threshold is too high.
- "While it's a reasonable idea on paper, I don't really think it is very plausible," Sen. Kevin Cramer told Axios.
What they're saying: "While it may not be the bill I can support right now, I look forward to engaging with Scott [Peters] on how we find a path forward," Rep. John Curtis told Axios.
- The Democratic sponsors say their proposal isn't set in stone, but Cramer said Republicans aren't interested in dramatically overhauling the current system.
- The GOP model, he said, is "the current law with maybe some FERC backstop authority."
The Casten-Levin proposal, meanwhile, is a Democratic marker highlighting the aggressive reforms they would pursue if they get another trifecta in 2025.
- It would give FERC much more power to site and allocate the costs for major interstate transmission lines.
- The discussion draft also includes a slate of progressive-friendly tweaks to environmental laws and changes to FERC's rate-making authority.
- "You've got to get to 218," Casten said. "And as long as there is not a single Republican willing to talk about transmission reform, the path to 218 is after an election."
Of note: Sen. Joe Manchin recently hired Daniel Palken, a Hickenlooper aide who helped put together BIG WIRES, to work for the Energy and Natural Resources Committee, Axios confirmed.
- That personnel move comes as Manchin is trying to put together a bipartisan permitting package with Sen. John Barrasso before the end of this year.
Yes, but: Folks we're talking to think they have to get something on permitting done by Jan. 1 — before the 2024 silly season – or it'll have to wait until 2025.
- "We're not moving a huge, massive, bipartisan, new and novel concept in the middle of a presidential election year," Rep. Kelly Armstrong told Axios.
