TAKING STOCK OF WHERE THE CLIMATE SPENDING IS TARGETED: Energy and environmental policies enacted by the Biden administration aren’t targeting resources towards areas that may need it the most, a new analysis shows – undermining the effectiveness of the largest climate spending programs in history.
Resources for the Future, a nonpartisan think tank, evaluated the reach of four major environmental programs enacted under the Inflation Reduction Act and an executive order. The “place-based” policies were billed as targeting clean energy spending into poor areas.
The key line here : “Because resources are limited, making so much of the nation eligible for these programs means that the benefits of the policies will be spread a mile wide and an inch deep.”
Take a closer look: Analysts for the think tank mapped the targets of the Justice40 Initiative – an executive order that requires 40% of all federal climate and energy investments to flow to disadvantaged communities – and three IRA programs that are meant to boost clean energy projects in such areas.
These programs cover 79% of U.S. land mass, 64% of the population, and 57% of the national income.
What RFF found: A closer look at the reach of the programs reveals that some areas qualify for investment that “probably shouldn’t,” and that some areas that need investment are neglected.
For example: Manhattan’s Times Square would qualify as a “disadvantaged community” under the Justice40 initiative and the Environmental and Climate Justice Program due to a number of factors – such as the area’s lack of green space and high housing costs. Most of Orange County, California – including Disneyland – would qualify as an energy community. However, most of West Texas, home to the nation’s largest oil field, does not.
For some of the programs, eligibility varies year to year – creating uncertainty around policy durability and deterring investment.
Why this is important: The Biden administration enacted billions of dollars of spending meant to decrease emissions in some of the most vulnerable communities. However, the devil’s in the details – and this report highlights the imperfections that could undermine Biden’s climate legacy.
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SOLAR IMPORTS HIT NEW RECORD IN Q2: U.S. imports of solar panels skyrocketed to an all-time high during the second quarter, with manufacturers aggressively increasing supply before expanded tariffs were enacted in June, Bloomberg reports.
Imports increased to 17.4 gigawatts, due to beefed up shipments from Vietnam and Thailand, per a report from S&P Global Market Intelligence. That’s 36% higher than last year and higher than the previous record of 15 gigawatts in the fourth quarter of 2023.
Some background : The Biden administration ended a tariff exemption in June on solar panels and cells from Southeast Asia, which currently dominates solar imports.
However, the White House increased the import quota of solar cells that would be exempt from tariffs earlier this month. The levels increased to 12.5 GW, from a previous level of 5 GW, giving manufacturers who depend on foreign-made components a reprieve.
The bigger picture: Imports have tripled since 2022, which is when the White House began the moratorium on tariffs for solar components. The increase in imports led a group of solar manufacturers to call for retroactive duties on the technology’s components, as the federal government probes into whether the goods are being sold in the U.S. at below-market prices. While the Biden administration has prioritized investing in the domestic solar supply chain, the White House has also acknowledged concerns that a concentrated supply chain could hamper the U.S. goals of reducing emissions. Read more here.
TRUMP RE-UPS CALL TO ROLL BACK POWER PLANT RULES: Former President Donald Trump re-upped his promise to ax the Biden administration’s power plant rule at a Pennsylvania campaign rally yesterday, and simultaneously slammed Vice President Kamala Harris ’s energy policies, accusing her of waging a “war on American energy.”
During an appearance in York, Pennsylvania, Trump promised to “unlock American energy” and roll back policies instituted by President Joe Biden and Harris.
Trump said he would “end the anti-American energy crusade and terminate Kamala’s so-called power plant rule. It’s a disaster for our country.”
Sen. J.D. Vance , who was at a separate campaign event in Pennsylvania, employed similar rhetoric as the former president and denounced the Biden administration’s regulations on power plants.
“Who’s going to benefit from that? The Chinese,” he said. “Now they say they care about our environment. But if you’re manufacturing more and more in China – the dirtiest economy in the world – you’re not benefiting the environment. You’re not benefiting American workers.”
The rules they’re talking about: The EPA finalized a suite of rules in April for existing coal-fired and new natural gas-fired power plants, requiring them to control 90% of their carbon pollution by 2040. This would likely require the plants to use carbon-reducing technologies, such as carbon capture and storage.
Not new: In the Trump campaign’s policy platform released nearly a year ago, the former president promised to “cancel Biden’s ruinous power plant rule” along with other environmental policies put forth by the agencies.
But: A more policy-focused approach in the former president’s rhetoric shows that the Trump campaign believes the talking points could help to swing voters in a state where its economy relies heavily on fossil fuels.
VANCE TIES BIDEN ENERGY POLICIES TO HARRIS: Vance attacked a number of Biden administration energy policies while tying it to Harris in a Wall Street Journal op-ed, arguing that a continuation of Biden’s “net-zero” energy policies would be bad news for consumers who are looking for lower costs, our Ross O’Keefe writes.
Trump’s running mate argued Harris wouldn’t hesitate to continue the administration’s “net-zero” plan.
“She thinks windmills and the sun will come to the rescue,” he continued. “But she is dreaming. Variable solar and wind can’t take the place of large base-load generators. Utilities added barely 20 gigawatts of solar capacity to the grid last year, and the real ‘accredited capacity’ as measured by grid operators is only a fraction of that.”
Vance also blasted carbon-capture technology as “unproven,” which coal plants and new and modified natural gas plants will have to adopt by 2032 or risk closing. Read more from Ross here.
RUNDOWN
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