Fedorchak in November. Photo: Andrew Harnik/Getty Images
Freshman Rep. Julie Fedorchak is wasting no time pressing for a phaseout of renewable energy tax credits as well as regulatory rollbacks — two strategies to tackle complex grid issues.
Why it matters: The North Dakota Republican's grid fluency earned her a coveted seat on Energy and Commerce — and what she hopes to be a prominent position in reconciliation and CRA talks.
- Fedorchak is on a texting basis with new Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, a fellow North Dakotan whom she prodded to roll back 20 Biden-era regulations on one of her first days on the Hill.
The big picture: Fedorchak's 12 years on the North Dakota Public Service Commission has informed her view that the rise of renewables and closure of coal and nuclear plants have contributed to a reliability problem.
- "It comes down to generation," Fedorchak told Axios in her office before running to an E&C breakfast.
- D.C. policymakers need to understand the "pros and the cons of each of the fuel sources … beyond the kind of talking points that each of the advocacy groups for each of those types of fuel source are promoting," she said.
Zoom in: Fedorchak has been advocating for an end to the tech-neutral tax credits, arguing that the massive investment in wind and solar resources has adverse impacts on the power grid and energy markets.
- At the Ways and Means Committee and an E&C hearing, she dived into technical details about the divergence between wind and solar power capacity and what those projects can actually produce.
- "We need to stop telling the developers that we need more [wind and solar power] because we really can't adequately incorporate more [renewable projects] safely and reliably," Fedorchak told Daniel.
Yes, but: That may be a tough sell. Conservative Climate Caucus leader Mariannette Miller-Meeks has argued in favor of keeping the tax credits and recently met with solar advocates.
Between the lines: Reconciliation offers a way to speed up energy permitting and leasing as "a growth driver" that can "stimulate more production and more tax dollars into the Treasury," Fedorchak said.
- At the same time, "I hope we can take a scalpel, not an axe, to the IRA," she said, echoing other Republicans.
- She said sustainable aviation fuel, carbon capture and storage, and advanced nuclear reactors should all be priorities for continued federal investment.
"I hope that we bring along Democrats," she said, "because this should be a bipartisan issue."
