The U.S.’s Best Hope For Real Climate Policy Is Fizzling. What Now?
[ad_1]
Luis Sinco via Getty Images
With just two weeks until global leaders gather in Scotland for the world’s biggest climate conference, the United States is about to let its leading proposal to cut emissions die in Congress. President Joe Biden had pledged to cut planet-heating pollution in half by 2030, and his allies in Congress proposed a program to pay power companies to replace their coal and gas-fired plants with renewables or retrofit them with carbon capture technology, or else face fines.
But after months of negotiations, Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.), whose home state and personal fortune depend on the continued burning of heavily polluting coal, appears to have effectively blocked inclusion of the president’s Clean Electricity Performance Program, or CEPP, in a sweeping government spending bill, according to multiple sources familiar with the talks.
The possibility that Democrats may fail for the second time in 12 years to pass a meaningful climate law, first reported Friday night by The New York Times, has set off a high-stakes scramble to find a plausible alternative, either by salvaging the funding and redirecting it to other programs or pushing through some creative eleventh-hour proposal.
Democrats need all 50 senators to pass the multi-trillion-dollar package that contains the bulk of the White House’s political agenda items.
The $150 billion clean-electricity program was expected to provide more than 33% of the emissions reductions needed to hit the U.S.’s target by the end of this decade, and tossing it out to save the rest of the package likely forgoes the last opportunity Democrats may have to enshrine greenhouse gas cuts into law before the 2022 election, when Republicans are favored to win back at least one chamber of Congress.
“We can’t just cut a program that was going to deliver one-third of the pollution cuts and say that’s acceptable,” said Leah Stokes, a climate policy expert who has advised Senate Democrats throughout the budget negotiations. “The White House better have a Plan B for how we’re going to maintain those cuts.”
Tom Williams via Getty Images
The electricity sector produces 25% of U.S. emissions, second only to emissions spewed by automobiles. But decarbonizing the economy means swapping internal combustion engines for plug-in cars and oil furnaces for electric boilers, so ensuring a bountiful supply of clean electricity is key to avoiding simply displacing pollution to the power sector.
The plan aimed to cut utility sector emissions 80% below 2005 levels by the end of the decade, by paying power companies to increase their output of zero-carbon electricity 4% each year and fining those that don’t. Manchin insisted last week that utilities were already making that change. But just two utilities ― the municipally owned Orlando Utility Commission in Florida and Southern Indian Gas & Electric ― are on track to meet that target, according to company data the advocacy groups Evergreen Action and Natural Resources Defense Council collected.
The only other major carbon-cutting policy with comparable mainstream appeal ― specific and well-funded advocacy groups, supportive lawmakers, and successful examples of deployment ― is arguably a carbon tax. But levies on CO2 are far less popular with voters than with economists. That hasn’t stopped some Democrats in Congress from reviving previously ill-fated proposals for a carbon tax in recent days.
On Tuesday, however, Manchin seemed to end speculation that the death of the CEPP might breathe new life into a carbon tax, telling reporters such a proposal was “not on the board at all right now.” While Sen. Mitt Romney (R-Utah) has said he would support one — though not likely as part of a broader spending package he opposes — Sen. Jon Tester (D-Mont.) indicated his opposition to a carbon tax.
Utility infrastructure is costly, and investments are often planned a decade in advance. The purpose of the CEPP was to influence the speed and direction of that planning. That way, even if a Republican bent on preserving fossil fuels wins the White House in 2024, companies will be unlikely to shift gears.
The next best hope for creating such incentives may be to redirect the CEPP’s $150 billion price tag toward beefing up the climate provisions that remain in the budget deal to keep lawmakers from diverting the funds to other programs in the bill, said Sean McElwee, the executive director of the think tank and pollster Data for Progress.
That money could fund far bigger Department of Energy grants to states for clean energy, expand existing tax credits for zero-carbon electricity, and boost community solar programs. The bill could also implement a border adjustment tax ― a fee on imports that accounts for the pollution that went into the production of those goods, the first example of which the European Union proposed in July.
“If the CEPP is going to be reduced, that money has to be spent on meeting Biden’s climate goals, and we will not meet Biden’s climate goals unless we find other programs that would have the same emissions impact of the CEPP,” McElwee said. “The real message should be: ‘This $150 billion should not be used to pay for the child tax credit.’”
The White House did not respond to a request for comment.
There is little complete or reliable modeling of what alternatives might equal the CEPP’s emissions cuts, though modeling is expected in the coming weeks.
The White House better have a Plan B for how we’re going to maintain those cuts.Leah Stokes, climate policy expert at the University of California, Santa Barbara
A spokesperson for Manchin did not respond to questions about what the senator, who chairs the chamber’s Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, sees as the best way for the U.S. to credibly ask other countries to slash emissions at the U.N. climate summit in Glasgow next month.
David Waskow, the international director at the World Resources Institute, said the Biden administration can point to significant steps the White House has taken to cut greenhouse gases when the president himself shows up in Scotland for the first few days of the summit.
“U.S. climate action is not happening from scratch ― in just 9 months in office, President Biden already has taken a lot of important strides on tackling the climate crisis that he can showcase in Glasgow,” Waskow said by email. “The negotiations on Capitol Hill are complex, but we are confident that [the] reconciliation package will be enacted with significant climate provisions. What is uncertain is the timing. The legislative process can take some time, which other countries are aware of.”
The Environmental Protection Agency vowed to implement regulations on power plants if the legislation fails, mirroring the strategy the Obama administration took after its signature climate proposal died in Congress in 2010. But the Supreme Court temporarily halted the administration’s landmark power plant rule in 2016. And before EPA regulators could work out the legal kinks, Donald Trump won the presidency and named Scott Pruitt, the Oklahoma attorney general who spearheaded the lawsuit to block the power plant rule, as the new agency chief.
Climate rules enacted by the White House alone could face the same fate in the next Republican presidency. In the nearer term, the regulations would need to overcome legal challenges in courts now stacked with the droves of federal judges Trump appointed, including a 6-3 conservative majority on the Supreme Court.
“100% clean electricity was a core campaign commitment that President Biden won on,” said Jamal Raad, the executive director of Evergreen Action, which helped lead the charge for the CEPP. “Regardless of CEPP’s inclusion in the final bill, we need to make significant investments to decarbonize the electrical sector, or we will fail to meet our climate commitments.”
[ad_2]
Original Post
You could certainly see your enthusiasm in the work you write. The sector hopes for even more passionate writers such as you who are not afraid to say how they believe. All the time go after your heart.
It’s really a nice and helpful piece of information. I am happy that you simply shared this useful info with us. Please stay us informed like this. Thank you for sharing.
I precisely wished to thank you so much yet again. I am not sure the things that I would have made to happen in the absence of the creative concepts revealed by you concerning my situation. Entirely was an absolute traumatic crisis for me personally, nevertheless taking a look at the very specialized approach you handled the issue made me to cry with happiness. Now i’m thankful for the assistance and even believe you are aware of an amazing job you are accomplishing instructing men and women with the aid of a site. Probably you have never encountered all of us.
you’re really a good webmaster. The website loading speed is incredible. It seems that you’re doing any unique trick. Moreover, The contents are masterpiece. you’ve done a wonderful job on this topic!
I’m not certain where you are getting your information, but good topic. I needs to spend a while finding out much more or understanding more. Thanks for great information I used to be searching for this info for my mission.
I was recommended this website by my cousin. I am not sure whether this post is written by him as nobody else know such detailed about my trouble. You’re amazing! Thanks!
You could certainly see your expertise in the work you write. The world hopes for even more passionate writers like you who are not afraid to say how they believe. Always go after your heart.
There is noticeably a bundle to know about this. I assume you made certain nice points in features also.
I was suggested this blog by my cousin. I’m not sure whether this post is written by him as nobody else know such detailed about my problem. You are amazing! Thanks!
It is in reality a great and useful piece of information. I¦m happy that you just shared this helpful info with us. Please stay us up to date like this. Thank you for sharing.
Very wonderful information can be found on weblog. “Never violate the sacredness of your individual self-respect.” by Theodore Parker.
I do not even know how I ended up here, but I thought this post was great. I don’t know who you are but definitely you are going to a famous blogger if you are not already 😉 Cheers!
Thank you for any other informative site. The place else may I am getting that type of information written in such an ideal manner? I’ve a challenge that I am simply now running on, and I have been at the look out for such information.
What’s Happening i am new to this, I stumbled upon this I have found It absolutely helpful and it has helped me out loads. I’m hoping to give a contribution & aid different customers like its aided me. Great job.
Some truly nice and useful info on this site, besides I conceive the design has good features.
It¦s in reality a great and helpful piece of information. I am glad that you just shared this helpful info with us. Please stay us informed like this. Thanks for sharing.
Hello my loved one! I wish to say that this post is amazing, great written and include almost all significant infos. I?¦d like to look more posts like this .
We are a group of volunteers and opening a new scheme in our community. Your site provided us with valuable information to work on. You’ve done a formidable job and our whole community will be thankful to you.
I’ll right away grab your rss as I can’t find your e-mail subscription link or newsletter service. Do you have any? Kindly let me know so that I could subscribe. Thanks.
Write more, thats all I have to say. Literally, it seems as though you relied on the video to make your point. You clearly know what youre talking about, why throw away your intelligence on just posting videos to your site when you could be giving us something enlightening to read?
I have been absent for some time, but now I remember why I used to love this site. Thanks, I?¦ll try and check back more frequently. How frequently you update your site?
This is the right blog for anyone who wants to find out about this topic. You realize so much its almost hard to argue with you (not that I actually would want…HaHa). You definitely put a new spin on a topic thats been written about for years. Great stuff, just great!
It¦s really a cool and helpful piece of information. I¦m happy that you shared this helpful info with us. Please stay us up to date like this. Thanks for sharing.
I really enjoy studying on this web site, it contains excellent articles. “He who sees the truth, let him proclaim it, without asking who is for it or who is against it.” by Henry George.
Have you ever considered creating an e-book or guest authoring on other websites? I have a blog centered on the same ideas you discuss and would really like to have you share some stories/information. I know my visitors would appreciate your work. If you are even remotely interested, feel free to shoot me an e-mail.
I like the efforts you have put in this, thankyou for all the great posts.
F*ckin’ remarkable issues here. I am very satisfied to see your post. Thank you so much and i’m having a look forward to touch you. Will you kindly drop me a mail?
Outstanding post, you have pointed out some fantastic points, I likewise believe this s a very wonderful website.
Lottery Defeater Software? Lottery Defeater is a software application created to help people win lotteries
Hey, I think your site might be having browser compatibility issues. When I look at your website in Chrome, it looks fine but when opening in Internet Explorer, it has some overlapping. I just wanted to give you a quick heads up! Other then that, very good blog!
Hello! Do you know if they make any plugins to help with SEO? I’m trying to get my blog to rank for some targeted keywords but I’m not seeing very good gains. If you know of any please share. Appreciate it!
I’m curious to find out what blog platform you’re working with? I’m having some small security issues with my latest blog and I would like to find something more secure. Do you have any solutions?
Hmm is anyone else encountering problems with the images on this blog loading? I’m trying to find out if its a problem on my end or if it’s the blog. Any feed-back would be greatly appreciated.
I found your weblog website on google and examine a few of your early posts. Continue to keep up the superb operate. I simply extra up your RSS feed to my MSN Information Reader. Seeking forward to reading more from you afterward!…
I very glad to find this website on bing, just what I was searching for : D too saved to favorites.
Merely wanna input that you have a very decent web site, I like the pattern it actually stands out.