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Your weekly resource to learn what the environmental movement is saying about the news of the day and the political fight of our generation. This week, we’re covering end-of-year polluter giveaways and tension in the Republican party on energy and costs.
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“It abandons transparency and accountability while ignoring the single biggest permitting problem facing the energy sector right now: the Trump admin’s all-out war against wind and solar.”
— Rep. Jared Huffman (CA-02), Ranking Member of the House Committee on Natural Resources, on Republicans’ SPEED Act that seeks to benefit fossil fuel executives.
“If true, public safety is at risk and science is being attacked. Climate change is real, but the work of NCAR goes far beyond climate science. NCAR delivers data around severe weather events like fires and floods that help our country save lives and property, and prevent devastation for families.”
— Colorado Gov. Jared Polis on OMB’s plans to dismantle the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR), located in Colorado.
“We don’t need to weaken environmental protections to get cheaper, cleaner energy.”
— Rep. Nydia Velázquez (NY-07) on Republicans’ questionable claims that the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) reviews are slowing efforts to get energy on the grid.
NEW YORK REPEALS METHANE GAS MANDATE: New York Governor Kathy Hochul signed a law to repeal the 100-foot rule, which required any customer within 100 feet of an existing methane gas line to be connected and forced ratepayers to foot the bill for new gas connections. The now-rescinded rule kept the state locked in to dirty and costly gas infrastructure expansion, charged ratepayers more than $600 million annually, and blocked comprehensive approaches to install safer, cleaner, more efficient electric appliances and heating.
NYLCV TAKE: New York LCV President Julie Tighe said, “The New York League of Conservation Voters applauds Governor Hochul for signing the repeal of the 100-foot rule and thanks legislative partners Assemblywoman Jo Anne Simon, Senator Liz Krueger, and Senator Pat Fahy for their partnership in advancing this long-overdue energy reform. For years, this policy forced everyday New Yorkers to pay more than $600 million annually added to utility bills to expand harmful gas infrastructure that we are transitioning off of – all without their knowledge and counter to our shared commitment to energy affordability. Ending this rule ensures ratepayers do not have to cover the costs of new gas hookups, while taking an important step toward cleaner air for our communities and healthier buildings for all.”
NEW JERSEY LCV PUSHES BACK ON ELECTRICITY RATE HIKE: New Jersey LCV is pushing back after PJM Interconnection, the nation’s largest electricity grid which delivers energy to 13 states including New Jersey, announced the results of its latest energy capacity auction. The results are likely to further increase already sky-high electricity rates. The capacity auction is the process through which power generators compete for bids to provide power to the electricity grid.
NJLCV TAKE: New Jersey LCV Executive Director Ed Potosnak said, “At a time of growing economic stress, every dollar increase in utility bill rates is unacceptable. It seems PJM is more interested in protecting the profits of billionaire CEOs than in keeping energy affordable for working families.”
SOLAR IS SAVING PEOPLE MONEY IN NEW MEXICO: New Mexico’s community solar program is expanding to offer clean energy and savings to more New Mexico residents. The state’s first community solar projects came online this year and current participants have seen savings of 6-28% on their energy bills, with higher savings for lower-income customers who need it most.
CALIFORNIA MOVES TOWARD CLEANER APPLIANCES: California approved a $115 million plan to boost the adoption of zero-emissions appliances like heat pumps and induction stoves, which are easy to install, help lower pollution, and save people money on their energy bills.
REPUBLICANS ARE BLAMING THEIR OWN PARTY FOR HIGH UTILITY BILLS: Republicans are now worried about the impacts rising energy costs will have on their districts (and their reelection efforts). Some are blaming their own party for pushing to end clean energy tax credits that were helping to lower bills.
HOUSE REPUBLICANS PASS PRO-POLLUTER SPEED ACT: After disagreements in their party led to changes making the bill even worse for clean energy and a slew of amendment votes, House Republicans passed the Standardizing Permitting and Expediting Economic Development (SPEED) Act on Thursday. The bill would make it easier for fossil fuel projects and more difficult for clean energy projects to get approval, while cutting out community input and doing nothing to address skyrocketing energy costs.
OUR TAKE: LCV Vice President of Federal Policy and former EPA scientist Matthew Davis said, “Republican leadership will stop at nothing to follow the extremists in their party to gut clean energy, all to give handouts to billionaire fossil fuel executives. There is no other reason why the Republicans in the House would actively oppose clean energy, which not only will address costs for hardworking families, but also help to increase the amount of energy on our grids. The extreme amendments to the SPEED Act fueled by misinformation that explicitly attack clean energy reveal the bill for what it always has been: a fossil fuel giveaway that cuts out community input and puts our health and safety at risk to help Big Polluters, all while our energy costs keep going up. Congress should be focused on real solutions to skyrocketing energy prices starting with stopping Trump’s effort to ban clean energy and speeding up the approval of grid improvements and clean energy projects that are cheap and quick to deploy.”
HOUSE ADVANCES ANTI-ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTER HANDOUTS: This week, Republicans in the House voted to advance a slate of anti-environmental, pro-polluter bills, including the Mining Regulatory Clarity Act, anti-science wolf de-listing bill (H.R. 845), and two bills to advantage expensive, dirty power plants (H.R. 3616, H.R. 3632). These bills are blatant giveaways to polluters and will do nothing to help families struggling with high energy costs and rampant pollution in their communities.
OUR TAKE: LCV Vice President of Federal Policy and former EPA scientist Matthew Davis said, “Trump and extreme House Republicans are determined to once again prioritize polluter handouts over helping hardworking families who are struggling with skyrocketing energy costs. These bills do nothing to stop the Trump administration’s ban on cheaper and faster clean energy. Instead, these bills limit public input on harmful projects and encourage selling off our public lands to billionaire executives. Our communities will be stuck with the price tag and the mess: more toxic mining waste, more years of dirty, expensive coal-fired power plants, and more polluting projects that will impact our public lands, our access to clean air and water, our health, and our pocketbooks. Congress should be focused on stopping Trump’s effort to ban clean energy and speeding up the approval of clean energy projects that are cheap and quick to deploy.”
TRUMP ADMINISTRATION ANNOUNCES PLANS TO SHUT DOWN CLIMATE RESEARCH CENTER: In his latest attack on science and public safety, OMB Director Russell Vought has announced he plans to shut down the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR), a key climate research center. NCAR conducts research on climate issues and develops weather forecasts that help keep people safe in the event of extreme weather.
OUR TAKE: LCV said, “The National Center for Atmospheric Research is one of the world’s leading climate research labs and is used in forecasting weather events and disasters around the U.S. Dismantling such an essential institution is an assault on science and truth, and a threat to the millions facing extreme weather.”
DOE EXTENDS OPERATION OF WASHINGTON COAL PLANT: The Department of Energy issued an emergency order forcing a coal plant in Centralia, Washington to remain open past its planned retirement date at the end of the year. The emergency order is in opposition to a state law requiring utilities in Washington to stop using coal beginning in the new year. This decision is the latest in a series of orders from DOE forcing outdated and obsolete coal plants to remain operational, despite obvious environmental and economic disadvantages and raising costs.
ON THE BLOG: What happens when the people who have been bad all year actually want coal from Santa? Check out the newest article on The Power Source blog to learn why Santa gives coal to the naughty list, why it’s set to backfire this year, and what he can leave under their tree instead.
ON OUR SOCIALS: We’re so dead after this week, but one thing keeping us going is all the climate champions in the House who are on it fighting back against Republicans’ pro-polluter SPEED Act, handouts to foreign mining companies, the sell-off of our public lands, and more.
DECEMBER 21: First day of winter.
DECEMBER 25: Christmas.
DECEMBER 26: First day of Kwanzaa.
DECEMBER 31: New Year’s Eve.
JANUARY 1: New Year’s Day.
JANUARY 6: 5th anniversary of the violent attacks on the Capitol on January 6th, 2021.
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