Salem, Oregon – Moving more wind and solar power onto the grid has Sen. Jeff Merkley’s support. But the Oregon senator says a Senate permitting proposal pairs that goal with provisions that would expand fossil fuel use, undermining its climate benefits.
Merkley said he would vote against the legislation, arguing that its consequences for energy development, community participation and Tribal rights need closer examination before Congress moves forward.
His objections come despite support for several of the bill’s aims. Merkley backed efforts to expand transmission, require data centers to pay their fair share for the resources they consume, and make cleaner, cheaper renewable electricity more available.
He also praised Sens. Whitehouse and Heinrich for their work toward those goals. Moving renewable power from solar and wind farms to areas with high electricity demand, he said, matters for household energy costs, the country’s economic competitiveness and efforts to address climate change.
The problem, in Merkley’s view, is what accompanies those changes.
“Very simply: getting more renewable electrons where they are needed doesn’t tackle climate change if you simultaneously promote the burning of more fossil fuels.”
Merkley argued that the proposal could ease construction of data centers powered by “behind the meter” natural gas plants. He also said it would make building pipelines easier, supporting the shipment of large quantities of natural gas overseas as liquefied natural gas, or LNG.
He challenged the treatment of those exports in models assessing the legislation’s climate effects, saying American gas burned abroad was excluded even though its impact on the planet remains.
Beyond energy production, Merkley raised concerns about how the bill would affect oversight and public involvement. He said it would limit states’ ability to address clean water concerns involving pipelines and transmission lines while shortening deadlines for community groups to raise project objections.
He also warned that the legislation would remove tools states and localities use to challenge new data centers and detention centers, and affect Tribal sovereignty and rights.
According to Merkley, the bill had received no public hearing in either chamber of Congress. He called for thorough consideration in the new Congress, maintaining that transmission permitting reform remains essential.
“But the current bill raises too many serious issues that require more deliberation.”
Merkley said he remained willing to work with colleagues on a different approach to permitting reform.
