The flip-flop on permitting legislation this week by the nation’s largest clean energy lobby group added to its difficulties in Republican-controlled Washington.
Long before President Donald Trump returned to the White House, the American Clean Power Association worked to strengthen its relationship with the GOP and shed the perception of being in the Democratic corner. But its methods have since irked members on both sides of the aisle.
ACP was an early supporter of the “SPEED Act” from House Natural Resources Chair Bruce Westerman (R-Ark.) and Rep. Jared Golden (D-Maine) to overhaul the National Environmental Policy Act permitting process.
But on Wednesday, CEO Jason Grumet said he could no longer endorse the legislation because of a change meant to appease offshore wind critics. The bill passed Thursday with 11 Democrats joining almost every Republican present in support.
Golden, a moderate, called ACP’s about-face “awfully shortsighted,” noting that talks toward a final deal on permitting between the House and Senate will continue.
A group of conservatives and offshore wind foes were threatening that progress by balking at the “SPEED Act” because of language to prevent any administration from scrapping already-issued permits.
Westerman and Golden agreed to change their bill to make it clear that some offshore wind projects being targeted by the administration remained vulnerable to having their permits yanked. The duo’s goal in agreeing to the change was to keep the permitting talks moving forward.
Republican energy lobbyist Mike McKenna said about ACP balking at the new language: “It’s a hell of a small hill to die on. Why would you go to war over something that’s not going to happen?”
But in a wide-ranging interview Thursday, Grumet argued that House leaders had “fundamentally eviscerated the whole point of the legislation.”
“So at that point, with disappointment and frustration, we had to make clear that we could not, with integrity, support the legislation that was heading to the floor,” he said.
Other groups like the Clean Energy Buyers Association, the American Council on Renewable Energy and the National Ocean Industries Association expressed varying degrees of disappointment with changes to the bill but did not change their position.
When asked about ACP’s reaction, Westerman took a subtle jab at ACP. “We lost one. We didn’t lose a big bunch of our coalition that understood what’s going on with the ‘SPEED Act,'” he said.
Anger from the left
The group’s maneuvers on permitting also angered one of its top allies on Capitol Hill. Earlier this month, Hawaii Democratic Sen. Brian Schatz — one of the most active lawmakers on climate and renewable energy issues — questioned ACP for joining the oil industry in supporting “SPEED.”
“Congratulations to ‘American Clean Power’ for cutting a deal with the American Petroleum Institute. But to enact a law both the House and the Senate have to agree, and Senators are finding out about this for the first time,” Schatz wrote on X.
It happened to be the same day Schatz was scheduled to speak at ACP’s board meeting. The senator never showed. Schatz declined to comment on his absence but acknowledged tension with the organization.
“We had a rocky couple of weeks,” Schatz said Wednesday. “We were not aligned. First rule in politics is no surprises, and I was surprised. Now we’re in a dialogue, and I’m confident it will be constructive. I don’t hold grudges, and I don’t think any of this should be taken personally. We just had to recalibrate.”
Grumet said he expected Schatz during the ACP board’s February meeting and called the episode a short-lived “family” disagreement.
Asked whether the situation would diminish his influence in the ongoing talks on permitting, Grumet said, “The dance of legislation is a process.”
‘Makes sense for us’
Grumet took the helm of ACP in 2023 after leading the Bipartisan Policy Center, which he founded in 2007. He quickly set out to make more inroads with Republicans.
But ACP has seen losses under unified GOP control. The party’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act put wind and solar energy incentives on a quick phase-out schedule. The Trump administration has also canceled grants and is going after permits.
Several renewable energy advocates who were granted anonymity to speak with POLITICO’s E&E News said they were puzzled by ACP’s moves.
One clean energy industry consultant said, “I have real questions about whether they’re up to the moment that we’ve been in for this entire year.”
“I don’t think they learned any lessons from the One Big Beautiful Bill experience,” the person added.
A Democratic advocate closely involved in the permitting talks said ACP made an odd choice at every turn.
“It’s super weird they pulled the endorsement,” the advocate said. “Not one Democrat bought that. Republicans thought they were cowards. You can understand the thought process. But it’s like let’s pick the worst option.”
ACP’s incoming board chair, Dave Carroll, chief renewables officer of ENGIE North America, defended the group’s decision, saying the “SPEED Act” change would allow the Trump administration to continue picking winners and losers.
“I think it makes sense for us,” he said of the group’s positions.
Grumet has never been afraid to rub some people — like environmentalists — the wrong way.
“At the end of the day, like it’s actually about substance, it’s not who you’re friends with,” he said. “Influence derives from integrity and clarity. Had we not expressed our disappointment, I think it would have undermined the integrity of our organization.”
He added: “I am surprised that this is in any way confusing.”
