US energy reform bill a ‘wishlist for the fossil industry’, say environmental groups

The Venture Global LNG plant in Cameron, Louisiana, on 21 April 2022. Photograph: Martha Irvine/AP

US senators should reject an energy-permitting reform bill being brought to committee on Wednesday by senators Joe Manchin and John Barrasso because it’s a “wishlist for the fossil industry” of the kind envisioned by Project 2025, environmental groups say.

Manchin, a senator from West Virginia and a former Democrat who registered as an independent in May, and Barrasso, a Republican from Wyoming, argue their bill will speed permitting of power transmission, mining and liquefied natural gas (LNG) export projects. Their bill will be voted on by the Senate energy and natural resources committee, of which Manchin, a longtime proponent of the reforms, is the chair and Barrasso is the committee’s top Republican.

The prospects of the bill becoming law, however, are uncertain given election-year politics and fierce opposition from environmental groups.

Earthjustice described the legislation as an “egregious attempt to fulfill the wishlist of the fossil fuel industry, which is laid out in the Heritage Foundation’s Project 2025, under the guise of promoting renewable energy and developing transmission infrastructure”.

A letter signed by about 360 environment groups described how environmentalists are concerned the legislation would force the Department of Energy to use outdated climate science and economic analysis, while ignoring any assessment of environmental justice impacts.

“This legislation guts bedrock environmental protections, endangers public health, opens up tens of millions of acres of public lands and hundreds of millions of acres of offshore waters to further oil and gas leasing, gives public lands to mining companies, and would defacto rubberstamp gas export projects that harm frontline communities and perpetuate the climate crisis,” the letter said.

The group Appalachian Voices said it was concerned that the legislation would reduce deadlines from challenges to energy projects “from six years to 150 days”. Chelsea Barnes, the group’s director of government affairs and strategy, said the bill “silences community voices by further eroding the National Environmental Policy Act”, adding that “all people deserve an opportunity to influence the development of energy projects in their communities”.

Manchin and Barrasso say the bill would strengthen the power grid and help keep power prices low. Manchin called it a “commonsense, bipartisan piece of legislation that will speed up permitting and provide more certainty for all types of energy and mineral projects without bypassing important protections for our environment and impacted communities”.

The bill gives companies more chances to bid on offshore oil and gas leasing between 2025 and 2029. In addition, the legislation sets a 90-day deadline for a secretary of energy to approve or deny liquefied natural gas export applications, which Barrasso said would “permanently end” Joe Biden’s pause on such approvals.

Environmental groups and experts have praised Biden’s pause on LNG projects announced in late January.

The Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) described the Manchin/Barrasso bill as a “fossil fuel wolf in clean energy clothing”. In a statement, Alexandra Adams, managing director of government affairs at the NRDC, said: “While this bill would offer some steps forward on transmission reform, which we hope to help usher forward, this bill would altogether be a leap backward on climate, health and justice if passed into law. The Senate should reject it and look toward alternative solutions already being considered.”

Lauren Pagel, the Earthworks policy director, said: “Congress must reject yet another handout to corporate polluters that are making record profits off of hurting communities and the climate.”

Reuters contributed reporting