Why America can’t build clean energy anymore | Energy Gang

The US has money for clean tech and renewable energy. It still cannot build fast enough. Permitting delays are now threatening the energy transition. Congressman Scott Peters joins Ed Crooks and Melissa Lott to unpack why US energy infrastructure is slowing down just as demand for power, grid resilience and decarbonisation accelerate. The conversation explores how the National Environmental Policy Act, originally designed as a planning tool in 1970, became one of the biggest barriers to clean energy, transmission and infrastructure projects. Peters explains why permitting reviews can now take years, why litigation risk freezes investment and why bipartisan reform efforts are gaining urgency. Since 2014, the US has built about 3.5 GW of interregional transmission capacity. China built more than 260 GW in the same period. Europe added 44 GW. The panel also examines why utility scale solar energy costs more than twice as much to build in the US as in China, despite huge climate commitments and clean technology incentives. They discuss the CERTAIN Act, the SPEED Act, transmission bottlenecks, methane regulation and whether Congress can strike a wider deal linking energy policy, climate change and infrastructure reform. Featuring Scott Peters, US Representative for California’s 50th District, alongside Melissa Lott, Partner for Energy Technologies at Microsoft. WHAT YOU'LL LEARN Why permitting timelines can stretch from four to eight years How NEPA became a major obstacle for clean energy projects Why transmission buildout in the US lags far behind China What the CERTAIN Act would change for energy infrastructure Why investors see rising political risk in US energy markets How grid resilience depends on faster infrastructure approvals What a bipartisan permitting deal could mean for climate policy CHAPTERS 00:00 Why America cannot build energy infrastructure 01:12 The clean energy permitting crisis explained 03:40 Scott Peters on fixing broken approvals 08:05 How NEPA slowed renewable energy growth 12:18 The CERTAIN Act and permitting reform 16:44 Why transmission projects keep failing 21:30 China versus US infrastructure buildout 26:10 The SPEED Act and bipartisan politics 31:42 Why US solar costs remain so high 36:20 Can Congress still deliver reform? KEY INSIGHTS China built more than 260 GW of interregional transmission since 2014. - The US built about 3.5 GW Major energy projects can face four years of review plus years of litigation risk US utility scale solar costs more than double Chinese installation costs Around 80% to 90% of projects seeking permits are now clean energy related Transmission delays are becoming a direct threat to AI growth and electricity reliability RESOURCES Listen on other platforms: Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast... Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0GT5BuD... Overcast: https://overcast.fm/login More analysis: https://www.woodmac.com Follow Energy Gang: X: @TheEnergyGang LinkedIn:   / wood-mackenzie   GUESTS Scott Peters, US Representative, California’s 50th District LinkedIn:   / scott-peters-50580aa   Melissa Lott, Partner for Energy Technologies, Microsoft LinkedIn:   / melissalottphd   HOSTS Ed Crooks, Vice Chair, Americas, Wood Mackenzie LinkedIn:   / edcrooks   JOIN THE CONVERSATION Can the US speed up permitting without weakening environmental protections? Share your view in the comments. Energy Gang and Interchange Recharged publish every two weeks. Subscribe for more analysis on energy transition, climate, clean technology and global energy markets. Nuclear is back and Bechtel is helping build what comes next. For more than 70 years, Bechtel has helped shape the nuclear industry, from work on the world’s first commercial nuclear reactor to designing, constructing, and servicing more than 150 nuclear plants worldwide. Bechtel has helped bring more than 76,000 megawatts of nuclear power online globally. Today, Bechtel is helping deliver the next generation of nuclear energy, from large-scale plants to small modular and advanced reactors, using the company’s decades of mega-project delivery experience to bring new nuclear online safely, reliably and at scale. Learn more at www.Bechtel.com/nuclear.