Robinson Meyer

Let me just say, like, voice the other side of that argument, though, which is something I've heard from companies that are applying for LPO, is that the process is really arduous. It's much more arduous than the private banks, which on the one hand is good, right? Like, that is making use of the Department of Energy's experts.

Let me just say, like, voice the other side of that argument, though, which is something I've heard from companies that are applying for LPO, is that the process is really arduous. It's much more arduous than the private banks, which on the one hand is good, right? Like, that is making use of the Department of Energy's experts.

It's making use of its ability to kind of put its stamp of approval on certain big projects. But something I've heard that's related to that is, like, if you go to a bank and you ask for a loan, you can usually get a sense in a few months of whether you're going to get that loan.

It's making use of its ability to kind of put its stamp of approval on certain big projects. But something I've heard that's related to that is, like, if you go to a bank and you ask for a loan, you can usually get a sense in a few months of whether you're going to get that loan.

But when you go to LPO, it can take a few years to even get a sense of how far you are in the pipeline, of whether you're going to be approved. And those years represent millions of dollars of planning investment. They represent burned runway. They represent a lot of lost executive salaries, right? Was there too much process here to make sure that all of these loans were airtight?

But when you go to LPO, it can take a few years to even get a sense of how far you are in the pipeline, of whether you're going to be approved. And those years represent millions of dollars of planning investment. They represent burned runway. They represent a lot of lost executive salaries, right? Was there too much process here to make sure that all of these loans were airtight?

The LPO isn't only just teaching them how to do big things. They're actually doing something else, which is that I think the office and the Department of Energy more broadly have followed through on a set of promises made by the Biden administration at the beginning of its term, right? That this wasn't only about doing big things in America. This isn't only about big manufacturing projects.

The LPO isn't only just teaching them how to do big things. They're actually doing something else, which is that I think the office and the Department of Energy more broadly have followed through on a set of promises made by the Biden administration at the beginning of its term, right? That this wasn't only about doing big things in America. This isn't only about big manufacturing projects.

This is also about making good on pledges to labor. This is about making good on pledges to communities that have suffered under pollution for so long. Something that LPO has done a lot of is to make sure that communities benefit from projects.

This is also about making good on pledges to labor. This is about making good on pledges to communities that have suffered under pollution for so long. Something that LPO has done a lot of is to make sure that communities benefit from projects.

There's a critique from Ezra and others that when you add all those other pledges, all those other requirements to these big projects, you know, you require labor standards, you require community input. It's not that those things are like not worthwhile, but they slow the projects down.

There's a critique from Ezra and others that when you add all those other pledges, all those other requirements to these big projects, you know, you require labor standards, you require community input. It's not that those things are like not worthwhile, but they slow the projects down.

And it takes time to do the planning for all these different aspects of a project when what the ultimate end goal is making sure there's a battery plant. After running LPO for three years, what is your sense of it? And should we have the same requirements? Should we try to make all the same pledges next time?

And it takes time to do the planning for all these different aspects of a project when what the ultimate end goal is making sure there's a battery plant. After running LPO for three years, what is your sense of it? And should we have the same requirements? Should we try to make all the same pledges next time?

Well, I think that this is exactly the question, right, is where does thoughtfulness and process begin? Because you're describing things that are not requirements per se.

Well, I think that this is exactly the question, right, is where does thoughtfulness and process begin? Because you're describing things that are not requirements per se.

However, I think if you go to a company and you're like, you know, you should really have a community meeting to figure out what the community wants, that's going to read to a company much more like a requirement than maybe they're going to feel like they're being voluntold.

However, I think if you go to a company and you're like, you know, you should really have a community meeting to figure out what the community wants, that's going to read to a company much more like a requirement than maybe they're going to feel like they're being voluntold.

How would you get the dollars out the door faster next time then?

How would you get the dollars out the door faster next time then?