Speed to Power or Policy Paralysis? The OBBBA and America’s Clean Energy Future

The One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) is now law, marking a major shift in U.S. energy policy and the beginning of a broader effort to rewire America’s energy future. With its passage, the OBBBA rolls back many key clean energy tax incentives and reestablishes a focus on fossil fuel development. This seismic shift comes just as the stakes for U.S. leadership in climate and technology continue to rise. How can policymakers and businesses keep pace with an evolving energy landscape? As AI drives unprecedented demand for reliable power, could current policies send investment abroad? And can the U.S. lead on both decarbonization and innovation? In the seventh episode of Accelerating Energy, host and Sidley partner Ken Irvin speaks with Mark James, interim director of the Institute for Energy and the Environment and associate professor at Vermont Law and Graduate School. Together, they unpack what made it into the OBBBA, assess its impact on U.S. competitiveness in the global AI race, and explore the federal government’s role in meeting the demands of new and emerging energy-intensive technologies. Executive Producer: John Metaxas, WallStreetNorth Communications, Inc.