U.S. Sen. Joe Manchin, a moderate Democrat and key swing vote in the evenly divided Senate, is talking to lawmakers about forming a potential bipartisan climate and energy bill as the broader Build Back Better social spending and climate package remains in limbo.

Manchin, who chairs the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, met April 25 with both Republican and Democratic lawmakers to discuss the plan.

The meeting "was an effort to gauge bipartisan interest in a path forward that addresses our nation's climate and energy security needs head-on," Manchin spokesperson Sam Runyon said in an email. Runyon did not respond to questions on which specific policies the lawmakers may have discussed.

In December 2021, the West Virginia lawmaker said he would not support the roughly $2 trillion Build Back Better Act that the U.S. House of Representatives passed weeks before. The legislation, which would implement major pieces of U.S. President Joe Biden's domestic policy agenda, included more than $300 billion in new and extended tax credits for clean energy, manufacturing and electric vehicles.

Manchin was concerned with the bill's total cost and some of its social spending provisions but has signaled support for the climate-related measures. Congressional Democrats have worked to advance the bill through the budget reconciliation process, in which only a simple majority of senators is needed to pass legislation in the upper chamber.

But if Manchin tries to move a bill through regular order, it would need support from at least 60 senators to avoid a filibuster, requiring at least some Republican backers.

Potential priorities

A bipartisan bill would likely include more fossil fuel-friendly policies, with Manchin and Republicans often clashing with Democrats on climate policy.

The coal-state lawmaker objected to adding a national clean power standard to the Build Back Better package, causing Democrats to leave that policy out of the House bill. Manchin has also sought to bolster domestic oil and natural gas production, particularly following Russia's invasion of Ukraine and decisions by many countries to limit or ban Russian energy imports.

On April 1, Manchin urged Biden to implement a new five-year plan for oil and gas development in the Gulf of Mexico. The senator also promoted using the Defense Production Act to finalize permitting and construction of the 304-mile Mountain Valley Pipeline LLC spanning West Virginia and Virginia.

"Energy inflation and the energy security issues that we see playing out in the marketplace today really are driving us towards ... a new opportunity to do something on energy and climate," said Sasha Mackler, executive director of the Bipartisan Policy Center's energy program.

In an interview, Mackler said a bipartisan bill could support clean energy production, including through tax credits, while facilitating exports of U.S. LNG to Europe and other places historically dependent on Russian gas.

"There's a really strong rationale for coupling clean energy at home with secure energy abroad," Mackler said.

Climate advocates not giving up

Although the more clean energy-focused Build Back Better bill remains stalled, climate action boosters are pressing Congress for results.

On April 26, nearly 50 large companies, including software developer Adobe Inc. and New Jersey-based electric and gas utility Public Service Enterprise Group Inc., asked lawmakers to pass legislation to provide tax credits for clean energy, transmission and electric vehicles, and incentives for clean energy manufacturing and domestic supply chains.

"The urgency for these investments has only grown in 2022," said Zach Friedman, director of federal policy for Ceres, the sustainability nonprofit group that organized the April 26 letter. "We need this package now to reduce dependence on expensive, volatile global energy markets and supply chains, strengthen U.S. energy security and economic competitiveness, and ensure we have a stable climate for businesses and consumers."

Even with Manchin's new focus on bipartisan legislation, a more sweeping reconciliation package is still possible, the Bipartisan Policy Center's Mackler said.

"I would not suggest that the reconciliation pathway is not still very alive because I think it is," Mackler said. "I think that Manchin is in a great position now to shape either pathway."

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