Earlier this year, Democrats passed a massive spending bill that many on the left hailed as an achievement for the climate and environment.
On the one hand, the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) will funnel almost $370 billion toward renewable and climate-related energy programs — including somewhat controversial incentives for carbon capture and nuclear energy. On the other hand, it’s hard to think of a more partisan way to pursue such an important issue than the reconciliation process.
Democrats touted the popularity of individual elements of the package during the legislative process but ultimately wrapped everything together in a partisan vehicle despite the concerns of those who would otherwise support clean energy technology programs in separate legislation. This partisan approach, to be sure excluded Republican lawmakers and — as…