Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm on Friday praised a gas pipeline project and called for an independent government agency to proceed “expeditiously” on it.

Granholm’s letter in support of the Mountain Valley Pipeline — a project that has also been pushed by Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) — comes amid tensions between the senator and administration on energy issues.

Granholm, in her letter to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), said the pipeline, which would carry natural gas from West Virginia to Virginia, “will enhance the Nation’s critical infrastructure for energy and national security.”

However, she stopped short of fully endorsing it, saying that the department “takes no position” on outstanding agency actions or litigation related to the project.

Yet, she also requests that any action related to the pipeline “proceeds expeditiously.”

More broadly, Granholm wrote that natural gas “can play an important role as part of the clean energy transition” particularly when combined with carbon capture technology to mitigate planet-warming emissions.

In the past, the Biden administration has expressed support for Manchin legislation that included expedited approval for the pipeline, as part of a larger permitting reform effort.

The permitting reform package — which ultimately did not make it across the finish line amid opposition from both Republicans and progressive Democrats — was part of an agreement between Manchin and Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) to win Manchin’s support for the Inflation Reduction Act.

Unlike the broad support the administration had given to the permitting effort, Granholm’s letter specifically singles out the pipeline project.

Her letter drew condemnation from environmental advocates.

“It’s horrific that the Secretary of Energy is cheerleading for the fossil fuel industry in 2023. If she’s not willing to transition us to a just energy future, Granholm should resign,” said a written statement from Brett Hartl, government affairs director at the Center for Biological Diversity.

The comments come amid some tensions between the Biden administration and activist groups, particularly following the approval of the Willow Project earlier this year. The Energy Department’s decision to allow a company to export natural gas from Alaska also recently angered green groups.

Meanwhile, Manchin has expressed disagreement with the Biden administration over a range of issues, including how it has handled the electric vehicle tax credits in the Inflation Reduction Act. He also recently said Biden showed a  “deficiency of leadership” on the debt ceiling.

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