Manchin’s permit bill contains a poison pill

The Senate could vote as early as Tuesday Joe Manchin‘s allowing the reform bill, and the West Virginian says Republicans should accept incremental progress rather than nothing. But the main problem is not that his changes are too small, although they are. Some of them would tangibly harm US energy security and constitutional federalism.

Although it received little attention, one section would rewrite how transmission lines are allowed, and not for the better. The Federal Power Act of 1935 preserved state authority over transmission line permits while the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) decides cost allocation.