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PW Pete Wyckoff On Heatmap News

“A utility lobbyist told me when I entered Congress: Pete, you've got to remember, we're not in the business of selling electricity. That's a loss leader. We're in the business of building stuff. You want us to build clean? Fine. You want us to build dirty? Fine. We just want to build stuff.”

Heatmap News · Climate & Energy · November 2026

“A utility lobbyist told me when I entered Congress: Pete, you've got to remember, we're not in the business of selling electricity. That's a loss leader. We're in the business of building stuff. You want us to build clean? Fine. You want us to build dirty? Fine. We just want to build stuff.” — Pete Wyckoff, Heatmap News

Context

Asked to make the case for passing the permitting bill now, Wyckoff argues it is really about affordability. He recalls what a utility lobbyist once told him to explain why utilities get paid for building rather than for cheap power.

Transcript

Heatmap News Around 47:46 into the episode
Speaker 1

…Folks who want the bill to pass, but are uncomfortable about it. It's a compromise. Compromises mean everyone feels a little skittish. And then I think there are folks who are really probably on the fence and don't know what to think here. Can you make the case? Why is it time to get in line now?

Speaker 4

…Deliver on affordability. And we have to be laser focused on that in the next two years. And this bill also opens the possibility for them to deliver on affordability with clean energy. And without this bill, I don't think we get there. So it is critical for helping them win as well, in my view.

Pete Wyckoff

I'll just say I agree with everything Lena just said. I will add a few things. One, this is really about affordability. And as someone who advocates very hard for a transition to clean, particularly clean electricity, to power our climate progress in so many sectors, we need to do that transition to clean in a way that is also maximizing why clean is affordable. I've worked with a lot of utilities and their incentive structure, and they are incentivized. To yes, build whatever. I had a first encounter when I entered the Congress with the utility lobbyists said that, Pete, you got to remember, we're not in the business of selling electricity. That's a loss leader. We're in the business of building stuff. You want us to build clean? Fine. You want us to build dirty? Fine. We just want to build stuff. But they don't want to build it in the cheapest way. And I think parts of what we have are seizing in a moment right here is where both parties agree, whatever the utilities build, it should be the cost-effective thing. I think the reconductoring requirements and the great…

Speaker 1

Lena and Pete, thank you so much for joining us. It's a pleasure to have you both here on ShiftKey.

Lena Moffitt

Thank you so much for having us.

Pete Wyckoff

Thank you so much, Rob.

Speaker names come from our own diarization. The position is estimated from where the line sits in the episode.

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