Ron Wyden To Chris Wright: 'Why Would You Continue This Ideological Crusade Against Clean Energy?'

Hinzugefügt: 2026-05-05

[00:00:00]Senator Wyden. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

[00:00:02]Mr. Wright, last year energy demand, you said repeatedly, "It's about people and math."

[00:00:17]Now, a few months later, you and the president threw most of the clean energy tax credits in the garbage can and took a wrecking ball to solar and wind energy projects.

[00:00:31]So, here's my question.

[00:00:33]When energy demand is up, supply is tight, manufacturing is down, and utility costs are going through the roof, why would you continue this ideological crusade against clean energy that clearly is not working?

[00:00:57]So, Senator, thanks for reminding me of my words last year that energy is about humans and math, and that that's exactly why the admin the Republicans in this administration has followed those policies. Because if you look at the 28 states across the country that have renewable portfolio standards, which means mandates for a certain amount of wind and solar, and mandates to close reliable capacity, those states on average have 50% higher electricity prices than the other 22 states that haven't followed those policies. There's a role for wind and solar. There is a role, but when it's mandated, forced, and subsidized, >> to have a role for wind and solar today?

[00:01:41]I mean, you're saying there's a role, why not? We had a role with clean energy tax credits, and the private sector loved the fact that they were technologically neutral. They were voluntary, there were no mandates, and you all pulled that up by the roots over the opposition of people in natural gas of all industries who said, "Look, we love gas, but we also need renewable clean energy." And you pulled it up. So, why don't you do something now?

[00:02:07]The subsidies the production tax credit, for example, for wind power pays from the federal government 4 cents per kilowatt hour of production that comes from a wind turbine. What happens when the wind blows right now? The the wind picks up, there's more wind power, we turn down natural gas plants, which are the the firming agent in the grid almost everywhere else, and we save 2 cents in reduced natural gas price. We pay a 4-cent subsidy and save 2 cents, and then we have uh the the utility pays its compensation to the wind power company.

[00:02:42]Those subsidies have distorted our electricity market.

[00:02:46]is fiction. The natural the natural gas industry said publicly, in big speeches, they wanted clean energy because of demand and AI, and you turned them down.

[00:02:57]My second question is this. It deals with wildfire and grid grid resilience.

[00:03:02]My home state is looking right now at one of the toughest wildfire seasons in modern history. It's documented that outdated power infrastructure is a major factor in these wildfires. I think we would agree with that. Yes. I wrote the disaster safe power grid law in 2021 to maintain and improve existing power lines and lower wildfire risk. It passed into law with the bipartisan infrastructure bill.

[00:03:28]But over the last year, and this is where I'm just baffled by what you're doing, you all held up on funding for many of those projects. You kept it locked in a government bank account instead of distributing it to communities that are working hard to deal with this record what looks like a record fire season. Will you let those uh go and uh and actually let us help our communities? Yeah, absolutely. We've worked hard to evaluate all of the projects that are in the in grid resilience, grid improvement, grid expansion. We've gone forward with lots of them. We've modified other ones.

[00:04:06]We're We We share your passion and your interest to make our grid more resilient.

[00:04:09]>> can I have a list of the projects you will let go in the next few weeks because this is urgent business. Can you give me a list within 2 weeks of the projects you will let go now? I believe we released a list uh 10 days ago or whatever of all those projects, but we will get you all of the ones specific to the Northwest delivered to your office in the very near term. Two next 2 weeks?

[00:04:30]Yeah, absolutely. All right. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Thank you, Senator.

[00:04:33]Senator