Editorial Board
Red Tape Is Holding Up a Greener Future
Renewable energy is key to fighting climate change. But misguided regulations are stopping crucial projects from moving forward.
More of these, please.
Photographer: David Paul Morris/Bloomberg
Seven months on, Democrats are still celebrating the Inflation Reduction Act, even though a crucial determinant of its success — permitting reform for energy projects — remains undone. Recent data shows just how imperative it is for them to stop dragging their feet.
What’s now called the IRA had little to do with inflation. It was a climate bill, and a big one: It provided $370 billion to improve energy efficiency, reduce emissions and smooth the path to a clean-power economy. It came on top of a 70% surge in private investment since 2017.