Panel II: Can We Permit Abundant Energy Infrastructure?

The "Inflation Reduction Act" authorized as much as one trillion dollars of new spending to build a new energy system but have policymakers removed the growing obstacles facing new energy infrastructure? What are the key challenges facing new infrastructure projects, such as the new power-lines, mines, and carbon and hydrogen pipelines envisioned by the Inflation Reduction Act? Congress has considered many proposals to make it easier to permit new energy infrastructure. Would any of these proposals be effective in ensuring public and private investments actually result in new energy projects? What are the key reforms that will be necessary to build energy infrastructure to support an abundant energy future?
Featuring:
- James W. Coleman, Robert G. Storey Distinguished Faculty Fellow and Professor of Law, Southern Methodist University Dedman School of Law
-Eli Dourado, Chief Economist, Abundance Institute
-Mario Loyola, Senior Research Fellow, Environmental Policy and Regulation, Center for Energy, Climate, and Environment, The Heritage Foundation
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As always, the Federalist Society takes no position on particular legal or public policy issues; all expressions of opinion are those of the speaker.

[@Pang-nn4eq]

Renewable energy is already cheapest form of energy. Storage is an overblown issue. You can put residential solar on rooftops of homes and allow households to heat their homes. With sufficient insulation, the home becomes "storage" as it stores the heat energy. Heating a well insulated home with solar costs about 50 USD a year (100m2 home, A rating). Thus, the strain on distribution is not even added.
Similarly, EVs are storage. And finally, society will adapt to using energy when it's the cheapest (i.e sun is shining). There's zero reason not to let the cost structure run its course and change market participant's behaviour. You can call this "energy poverty" if you want, whatever that means.