Speed is the new energy subsidy
For decades, clean energy in America was carried forward by subsidies. The ITC and PTC helped solar and storage scale, creating an industry that might not have survived without them.
They gave renewables the time and capital to prove themselves. But they also distorted markets. Developers planned pipelines around political timelines, not project efficiency. Investors prioritized tax certainty over technology.
Because subsidies softened the cost of delays, too many projects could afford to crawl through slow, sequential steps. Projects lived or died not on their merits, but on how Congress voted.
The One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) made sure of it. By accelerating the phaseout of credits and adding complex new sourcing requirements, OBBBA created a hard clock.
No direct quote available in the text.
Author's summary: Speed replaces subsidies in clean energy.