Abstract
We revisit the impact of early dark energy (EDE) on galaxy clustering using BOSS galaxy power spectra, analyzed using the effective field theory (EFT) of large-scale structure (LSS) and anisotropies of the cosmic microwave background (CMB) from Planck. Recent studies found that these data place stringent constraints on the maximum abundance of EDE allowed in the Universe. We argue here that their conclusions are a consequence of their choice of priors on the EDE parameter space, rather than any disagreement between the data and the model. For example, when considering EFT-LSS, CMB, and high-redshift supernovae data we find the EDE and ΛCDM models can provide statistically indistinguishable fits (Δχ2=0.12) with a relatively large value for the maximum fraction of energy density in the EDE (fede=0.09) and Hubble constant (H0=71 km/s/Mpc) in the EDE model. Moreover, we demonstrate that the constraining power added from the inclusion of EFT-LSS traces to the potential tension between the power-spectrum amplitudes As derived from BOSS and from Planck that arises even within the context of ΛCDM. Until this is better understood, caution should be used when interpreting EFT-BOSS+Planck constraints to models beyond ΛCDM. These findings suggest that EDE still provides a potential resolution to the Hubble tension and that it is worthwhile to test the predictions of EDE with future datasets and further study its theoretical possibilities.