Biden Looking At Executive Action To Pursue Permitting Reform

Comments from US Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm hitting wires stating that President Joe Biden may "look at using executive power" to "help push permitting reform."

• According to Reuters, Granholm also states that the DoE plans to refill the Strategic Petroleum Reserve if oil prices remain "advantageous to taxpayers" during the rest of the year.
• Granholm further states that, "last year's acceleration of dirtier energy use was temporary," addressing criticism from progressives that Biden's clean energy agenda has been compromised by a pivot back to domestic hydrocarbon production.
• House Republicans passed a version of permitting reform in their flagship energy legislation package HR1 last month. That package is unlikely to gain traction in the Democrat-controlled Senate and President Biden has stated he will veto the bill if it ends up on his desk.
• Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) said: “The package is a wish list for Big Oil, gutting important environmental safeguards on fossil fuel projects.”
• A Democrat permitting reform proposal is likely to track closer to a bill from centrist Democrat Senator Joe Manchin (D-WV) which failed to win support from Republicans during the lame duck session of the last Congress despite broad bipartisan approval.