Category Archives: Climate Action

Biden Administration, Climate Action, Climate Change, Conservation, Joe Biden, News & Photo Features

Biden Legacy: President Biden Protects Atlantic and Pacific Coasts from Offshore Oil and Gas Drilling

With his latest action to protect Atlantic and Pacific Coasts from offshore oil and gas drilling, President Biden has now conserved over 670 million acres of America’s lands and waters, more than any other president in history. © Karen Rubin/news-photos-features.com

With his latest action to protect Atlantic and Pacific Coasts from offshore oil and gas drilling, President Biden has now conserved over 670 million acres of America’s lands and waters, more than any other president in history. This fact sheet was provided by the White House:

President Biden has taken action to protect the entire U.S. East coast, the eastern Gulf of Mexico, the Pacific off the coasts of Washington, Oregon, and California, and additional portions of the Northern Bering Sea in Alaska from future oil and natural gas leasing. In protecting more than 625 million acres of the U.S. ocean from offshore drilling, President Biden has determined that the environmental and economic risks and harms that would result from drilling in these areas outweigh their limited fossil fuel resource potential. With these withdrawals, President Biden is protecting coastal communities, marine ecosystems, and local economies – including fishing, recreation, and tourism – from oil spills and other impacts of offshore drilling.

Nearly 40 percent of Americans live in coastal counties that rely on a healthy ocean to thrive. With today’s action, President Biden is ensuring that these regions can remain healthy and safe from the risk of oil spills resulting from development that would do little, if anything, to meet the nation’s energy needs.

Nearly 400 municipalities and over 2,300 elected local, state, Tribal, and federal officials across the Atlantic, Pacific, and Gulf coasts have formally opposed the expansion of offshore drilling in these areas in view of its severe environmental, health, and economic threats. Nearly every Governor along the East and West Coasts – Republicans and Democrats alike – has expressed concerns about expanded oil and gas drilling off their coastlines. In Alaska, the new Northern Bering Sea protections are consistent with a long-standing request from more than 70 coastal Tribes based on the need to help sustain a vital and threatened ocean area, and the natural resources it contains that Indigenous communities have stewarded and relied on for subsistence since time immemorial.

With this action, President Biden has conserved more lands and waters than any other U.S. president in history.

President Biden stated:

“I am taking action to protect the East and West coasts, the eastern Gulf of Mexico, and Alaska’s Northern Bering Sea from oil and natural gas drilling and the harm it can cause. My decision reflects what coastal communities, businesses, and beachgoers have known for a long time: that drilling off these coasts could cause irreversible damage to places we hold dear and is unnecessary to meet our nation’s energy needs. It is not worth the risks. As the climate crisis continues to threaten communities across the country and we are transitioning to a clean energy economy, now is the time to protect these coasts for our children and grandchildren.

“From California to Florida, Republican and Democratic Governors, Members of Congress, and coastal communities alike have worked and called for greater protection of our ocean and coastlines from harms that offshore oil and natural gas drilling can bring. In Alaska, dozens of Tribes have fought to protect the Northern Bering Sea, a vital ocean ecosystem that supports their traditional ways of life. Vice President Harris and I have listened. In balancing the many uses and benefits of America’s ocean, it is clear to me that the relatively minimal fossil fuel potential in the areas I am withdrawing do not justify the environmental, public health, and economic risks that would come from new leasing and drilling.

“The Deepwater Horizon oil spill, a man-made catastrophe that took the lives of eleven people and spilled millions of barrels of oil into the waters of the Gulf of Mexico, is a solemn reminder of the costs and risks of offshore drilling to the health and resilience of our coasts and fisheries and underscores the importance of the legal protections I am putting in place today. It is also one of the reasons why on my watch we have strengthened offshore safety standards for workers and communities on the front lines of existing operations nationwide, and rapidly accelerated the development of safer and cleaner energy sources, including the approval of eleven offshore wind projects.

“From Day One, I have delivered on the most ambitious climate and conservation agenda in our country’s history. And over the last four years, I have conserved more than 670 million acres of America’s lands and waters, more than any other president in history. Our country’s remarkable conservation and restoration progress has been locally led by Tribes, farmers and ranchers, fishermen, small businesses, and outdoor recreation enthusiasts across the country. Together, our “America the Beautiful” initiative put the United States on track to meet my ambitious goal to conserve at least 30 percent of our Nation’s lands and waters by 2030. 

“We do not need to choose between protecting the environment and growing our economy, or between keeping our ocean healthy, our coastlines resilient, and the food they produce secure and keeping energy prices low. Those are false choices. Protecting America’s coasts and ocean is the right thing to do, and will help communities and the economy to flourish for generations to come.”

FACT SHEET: President Biden Protects Atlantic and Pacific Coasts from Offshore Oil and Gas Drilling

Protecting the Atlantic Ocean, Pacific Ocean, Eastern Gulf of Mexico and Northern Bering Sea from Offshore Drilling

Using his authority under Section 12(a) of the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act, President Biden is issuing two Presidential Memoranda to protect all U.S. Outer Continental Shelf areas off the East and West coasts, the eastern Gulf of Mexico, and additional portions of the Northern Bering Sea in Alaska from future oil and natural gas leasing. The withdrawals have no expiration date, and prohibit all future oil and natural gas leasing in the areas withdrawn. President Biden first used this authority in January of 2021 when he restored protections for part of the Northern Bering Sea, and again in March 2023 to withdraw 2.8 million acres of the Beaufort Sea from future oil and gas leasing, which completed protections for the entire U.S. Arctic Ocean.

This action will safeguard three distinct ocean and coastal regions:

  • The entire eastern U.S. Atlantic coast and the Eastern Gulf of Mexico. President Biden is protecting approximately 334 million acres of the Atlantic Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) from Canada to the southern tip of Florida, and the Eastern Gulf of Mexico. There are currently no active oil and natural gas leases in Federal waters off the eastern Atlantic coast. The southern section of this withdrawal matches a previous Congressional withdrawal enacted by the Gulf of Mexico Energy Security Act of 2006, and a subsequent time-limited 12(a) withdrawal issued by the previous administration that would have expired in 2032 without today’s protections. Today’s withdrawal builds on those prior withdrawals and helps safeguard the multi-billion-dollar fishing and tourism economies in these states. 
    • The Pacific Coast along California, Oregon, and Washington. This withdrawal protects nearly 250 million acres of Federal waters off the West Coast of the mainland U.S. that are prime habitat for seals, sea lions, whales, fish, and countless seabirds. The State of California has had a moratorium on issuing new leases in its state waters since 1969, and the last Federal lease sale in the area being withdrawn was offshore of Southern California in 1984. The Governors of these states have called for full protection of their coasts for decades.
  • The remaining portion of the Northern Bering Sea Climate Resilience Area in Alaska. This withdrawal will protect 44 million acres of the Northern Bering Sea in far northwest Alaska that is home to fish, sea birds, and other wildlife and where there are no existing oil and gas leases. The Northern Bering Sea Climate Resilience Area was established in 2016 and includes one of the largest marine mammal migrations in the world – beluga and bowhead whales, walruses, and seals travel the funnel of the Bering Strait each year to feed and breed in the Arctic. This is an area where oil and gas development would pose severe dangers to coastal communities, and where the health of these waters is critically important to food security and to the culture of more than 70 coastal Tribes, including the Yup’ik, Cup’ik, and Inupiaq people who have relied on these resources for millennia. The Alaskan Congressional delegation has opposed previous proposals to allow oil and gas leasing and drilling in the area.

Building on a Historic Ocean Conservation and Climate Legacy

These actions build upon the Biden-Harris Administration’s ambitious climate agenda and unprecedented commitment to protect America’s natural wonders now and for future generations. The withdrawals advance two important Biden-Harris Administration priorities: honoring and protecting areas of significance to Tribal Nations and Indigenous peoples as well as States and other stakeholders; and helping to ensure our oceans and coasts are resilient to the threats of climate change and nature loss. 

The Biden-Harris Administration’s climate and conservation record includes creating three new national marine sanctuaries and a new national estuarine research reserve, including the Chumash Heritage National Marine Sanctuary off the coast of Central California; advancing designations for four additional sanctuaries; safeguarding Bristol Bay salmon fisheries; approving more than 19 gigawatts of offshore wind projects, enough to power more than 6 million homes; investing $2.6 billion in coastal communities; and releasing the first-ever U. S. Ocean Climate Action Plan.

With today’s withdrawals, President Biden has now conserved more than 670 million acres of U.S. lands, waters, and ocean – more than any president in history. This includes establishing or expanding ten national monuments and restoring protections for three more; creating six new national wildlife refuges; protecting the Boundary Waters of Minnesota, the nation’s most visited wilderness area; and withdrawing Chaco Canyon in New Mexico, Pactola Reservoir in South Dakota, and Thompson Divide in Colorado from further mineral, oil, and gas leasing.  

These actions are helping advance the President’s America the Beautiful initiative, which is supporting locally led conservation efforts with a goal to protect, conserve, and restore at least 30 percent of U.S. lands and waters by 2030.

Biden Administration, Climate Action, News & Photo Features

Biden Legacy: Leveraging Federal Government to Catalyze Clean Energy Jobs and Cut Costs and Pollution

Climate Smart White House: Leading by example, the Administration has worked to secure clean electricity that will power 95% of White House complex operations, including its facilities, vehicle fleets and new EV charging infrastructure. These climate smart improvements increase resilience and energy efficiency across multiple buildings that make up the Executive Office of the President campus, saving taxpayer dollars through lower utility bills and operating costs. © Karen Rubin/news-photos-features.com

Three years in, President Biden’s executive order has catalyzed global markets and put the U.S. Government on track to meet his ambitious sustainability goals and save taxpayers money. This fact sheet was provided by the White House: 

When President Biden entered office, he pledged to restore America’s climate leadership and charged the Federal Government to deliver on that promise. He recognized that as the single largest land owner, energy consumer, and employer in the nation, and the largest purchaser on Earth, the Federal Government can catalyze private sector investment and expand the economy and American industry. The Biden-Harris Administration has transformed how we build, buy, and manage electricity, vehicles, buildings, infrastructure projects, and other operations to be clean and sustainable, while creating good clean energy jobs, supporting American manufacturing, and saving taxpayers money by cutting energy and operating costs.
 
The President’s Executive Order (E.O.) 14057 on Catalyzing Clean Energy Industries and Jobs Through Federal Sustainability and the accompanying Federal Sustainability Plan directs the U.S. Government to achieve net-zero greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 2050 while boosting domestic manufacturing, supporting clean energy industries, creating high-paying union jobs, and cutting energy costs. As part of the President’s Investing in America agenda, the U.S. government has invested over $12 billion and launched thousands of projects to transition to electric vehicles, clean construction materials, and energy-efficient buildings powered by 100% clean electricity.
 
The President’s actions have created a bold new playbook to turn the climate crisis into economic opportunity. Just three years after President Biden signed E.O. 14057, GHG emissions from Federal operations are down 38% from 2008 levels. This puts the U.S. Government over halfway to the President’s goal of a 65% emissions reduction from Federal operations by 2030.
 
Take a look at the Biden-Harris Administration’s Federal sustainability progress by the numbers: 

  • Ordered nearly 82,000 zero-emissions vehicles (ZEVs) for the Federal fleet and installed 10,500 charging ports at Federal facilities nationwide, with an additional 52,500 charging ports in progress;
    • Supported the U.S. Postal Service’s commitment to acquire 100% electric delivery trucks by 2026 – the first of which have already started to roll through neighborhoods – by leveraging an investment of $3 billion from the Inflation Reduction Act;
       
    • Developed a clean electricity procurement pipeline with energy suppliers across 36 states that would move the Federal Government from its current 40% clean electricity match to 70% by 2027, on its way to 100% by 2030;
       
    • Generated over $8 billion in private sector funding to launch thousands of modernization projects that will deliver energy- efficient, climate resilient, and all-electric Federal buildings, including at least 2,700 net-zero emissions buildings that are complete or underway today;
       
    • Catalyzed America’s clean manufacturing industry by deploying nearly $4.5 billion in Inflation Reduction Act funding to use American-made low-carbon steel, concrete, asphalt, and glass in Federal infrastructure projects;
       
    • Released the first comprehensive measurement of the Federal Scope 3 GHG footprint, launched a Federal supplier climate scorecard, and took additional actions that put the Federal Government on track to cut its Scope 3 emissions by 30% by 2030;
       
    • Established the Federal Government’s first-ever goal to phase-out Federal procurement of single-use plastics from food service operations, events, and packaging by 2027, and from all Federal operations by 2035;
       
    • Directed the nation’s two million Federal employees to prioritize the use of sustainable transportation, including electric vehicles (EVs), for business travel;
       
    • Rallied other countries to accelerate their climate ambition by launching the U.S.-led Net-Zero Government Initiative, under which the United States and 33 partner countries have committed to achieve net-zero emissions from national government operations by 2050 and to publish roadmaps for reaching this goal; and
       
    • Powering the White House complex with carbon-free electricity that will account for 95% of its total usage and installed new EV charging infrastructure to power its vehicle fleet, which will soon include electric vehicles. White House buildings have also been upgraded to reduce energy use and costs.

President Biden has taken the most significant and comprehensive actions ever to set the Federal Government on a course toward a cleaner, more efficient, and resilient future – establishing a historic legacy with benefits that will continue to be felt for years to come. With broad support from America’s manufacturers, clean energy developers, labor organizations, business leaders, states, and communities, the Federal Government’s 300,000 buildings, 600,000 vehicles, and $750 billion in annual procurement power will continue to be more sustainable and resilient while supporting good jobs, cutting costs, and saving taxpayers money.

Delivering on President Biden’sFederal Sustainability Plan

Electrifying the Federal Fleet: With more than 600,000 cars and trucks, the Federal Government is the largest vehicle fleet owner in the world. Transitioning this fleet to ZEVs is a core focus of President Biden’s Federal Sustainability Plan, which targets 100% ZEV acquisitions by 2035, including 100% light-duty acquisitions by 2027. At the start of the Administration, the Federal fleet included fewer than 2,000 ZEVs. Since President Biden took office, the Federal Government has ordered nearly 82,000 electric vehicles and installed 10,500 EV charging ports at Federal facilities, with an additional 52,500 ports in progress.

New, American-made electric United States Postal Service (USPS) delivery trucks are also beginning to roll through neighborhoods. USPS, which maintains over 200,000 vehicles, has committed that all Next Generation Delivery Vehicles in 2026 and thereafter will be electric vehicles. As part of that transition, the Postal Service is equipping hundreds of its sorting and delivery centers with electric vehicle charging stations.

Advancing Carbon-Free Electricity: Federal agencies have moved expeditiously to meet President Biden’s charge of powering all Federal operations with 100% carbon pollution-free electricity (CFE) by 2030, including 50% on a 24/7 basis, by taking a new approach to procuring electricity. Through engagement with energy suppliers across 36 states, the Biden-Harris Administration developed a clean electricity procurement pipeline that would move the Federal Government from its current 40% clean electricity match to 70% by 2027 on its way to 100% by 2030.

The General Services Administration (GSA) made history by executing the first-ever whole-of-government approach to procuring CFE clean electricity. GSA also executed the Federal Government’s first-ever contract for locally-supplied CFE delivered on a 24/7 hourly basis in Arkansas. Utilities have responded enthusiastically to GSA’s new approach, entering agreements to power Federal facilities in 24 states and the District of Columbia with 100% CFE by 2030.

Under this Administration, the Department of Defense (DOD) also executed the government’s first “sleeved” power purchase agreement, which will power five military installations in North and South Carolina with over 135 megawatts (MW) of newly built solar power; and cut the ribbon on the Edwards Air Force Base Solar Array, one of the world’s largest solar and battery storage projects, spanning more than 4,000 acres of public and private property lands. DOD also demonstrated leadership in engaging with the market on potential nuclear power from next generation microreactors and small modular reactors (SMRs). The Department of Energy has entered into realty agreements to develop 14,000 acres of DOE land for 1,550 MWs of new CFE generation through its Clean Up to Clean Energy Initiative. In total, the Federal Government has leveraged federal properties to site CFE projects equivalent to approximately 10% of all USG electricity consumption, or 5 terawatt hours annually.

The Federal Government has also engaged in energy regulatory processes in a new way, working with Entergy Arkansas to design a first-of-its-kind 24/7 hourly matched CFE tariff, and intervening as a large customer in integrated resource planning processes in Georgia, North Carolina, and Tennessee to achieve greater affordability, resilience and reductions to emissions. 

Reducing Building Emissions: The Federal Government has paved the way toward cost effective, super-efficient, all-electric buildings, with the goal of achieving a net-zero emissions building portfolio by 2045, including a 50% emissions reduction by 2032. Today, projects are complete or underway to bring 2,700 Federal buildings to net-zero emissions, covering over 40 million square feet, which puts the U.S. Government on track to achieve the goal set by the first-ever Federal Building Performance Standard. These leading-edge projects are energy efficient, climate resilient, all-electric, and better positioned to deliver on agencies’ missions.

Federal building emissions have been reduced by 39% since 2008, and 8% of reductions were delivered over the past 4 years, far outpacing historic trends. Energy savings from this Administration are comparable to the annual greenhouse gas emissions of over 300,000 homes. Further, agencies have built a strong pipeline of projects that will continue to deliver savings in years to come.

Investments in Federal buildings leveraged over $8 billion in private sector funding through performance contracting to launch thousands of modernization projects that will deliver energy- efficient, climate resilient, and all-electric Federal buildings. They also are expected to cut annual utility costs by over $175 million annually and create over 80,000 jobs.

The Administration has proven net-zero emissions buildings are cost effective through showcase projects at the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center, the largest building in Washington, D.C., which is now 100% electric; Fort Hunter Liggett, the first U.S. Army base to achieve net-zero energy designation; and the Oklahoma City Federal Building, which cut energy costs and is pioneering power grid resilience strategies.


Building Sustainable Supply Chains: The Biden-Harris Administration has shown how the Federal Government, as the single largest purchaser in the world, can lead by example to reduce harmful emissions and catalyze climate action across its thousands of suppliers. Last month, the Administration released the first comprehensive measurement of the Federal Government’s Scope 3 emissions footprint, including the emissions associated with the $730 billion of goods and services that the government purchases annually. The Administration also released a Federal supplier climate scorecard that tracks the Federal Government’s top 200 suppliers’ progress toward addressing their climate risks.

To help Federal suppliers reduce their carbon footprints, the Administration launched a new webpage that connects suppliers with Federal programs, tools, and information that they can use to accelerate their decarbonization efforts. To further curb emissions, the Administration directed the Federal Government’s two million Federal employees to prioritize the use of sustainable transportation, including electric vehicles, for official and local travel. Together, these actions are expected to cut Federal Scope 3 emissions by 30% by 2030 – the equivalent of 40 million metric tons of CO2 emissions (MTCO2e) annually.

To further advance a more sustainable supply chain, the Biden-Harris Administration established the first-ever goal to phase out procurement of single-use plastic products from all Federal operations by 2035, and directed agencies for the first time to prioritize the purchase of sustainable products without added per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS).


Buying Clean: The Biden-Harris Administration has delivered on the President’s charge to “buy clean” by using American-made low-carbon steel, concrete, asphalt, and glass in Federal infrastructure projects. The Administration’s landmark Federal Buy Clean Initiative leverages the sway of the U.S. government, as the largest purchaser on Earth, to spur demand for clean American manufacturing of materials that form the bedrock of our economy.

Since 2023, GSA has incorporated Buy Clean requirements in the construction specifications for more than 150 Federal building and infrastructure projects. Manufacturers have responded by publishing over 17,000 new environmental product declarations (EPDs) for low-carbon construction materials, demonstrating that industry is reacting to market demand for materials made with lower emissions. The 150 GSA-led projects are expected to support an estimated 6,000 jobs per year across the U.S. during construction and generate $2.7 billion in GDP. A complementary EPA grant program awarded $160 million from the Inflation Reduction Act to help manufacturers develop and verify additional EPDs.

The Department of Transportation (DOT) has awarded $1.2 billion in grants to 39 State Departments of Transportation to purchase American-made low-carbon construction materials. DOT anticipates awarding an additional $800 million in Inflation Reduction Act funds to cities, metropolitan planning organizations, Tribal governments and other Federal, State and local agencies in the coming weeks.

The Biden-Harris Administration has also partnered with state governments to accelerate action. The Federal-State Buy Clean Partnership includes 13 states that have committed to prioritizing the procurement of low-carbon infrastructure materials in state-funded projects, and to collaborate with the Federal Government and one another to send a harmonized demand signal to the marketplace.

Advancing Climate Adaptation and Resilience: When President Biden took office, he prioritized the revitalization of Federal agencies’ climate adaptation and resilience planning efforts. Today, 24 Federal agencies have adopted adaptation and resilience plans that address their most significant climate risks and vulnerabilities from 2024 to 2027 and outline the steps they are taking to strengthen their facilities’, employees’, resources’, and operations’ resilience to climate change impacts. For the first time, agencies have identified senior resilience leaders and created new accountability structures that integrate adaptation and resilience throughout their missions while also meeting the resilience requirements for the Disaster Resiliency Planning Act, as well as best practices for advancing climate-smart infrastructure. Agencies have also adopted common indicators to assess their progress towards identifying and addressing the risks that climate change poses to them and the people and communities they serve.

Partnering for a Broader Impact: The Biden-Harris Administration has prioritized partnering with other state, local, and international governments to accelerate sustainability initiatives at every level. The Greening Government Initiative (GGI), which the United States launched in 2021, is a first-of-its-kind initiative that enables over 60 member countries to exchange information, promote innovation, and share best practices to support global efforts to green national government operations and meet their commitments under the Paris Agreement.

Building on GGI’s success, in 2022 the U.S. launched the Net-Zero Government Initiative (NZGI) to increase countries’ ambition to green their national government operations. NZGI countries commit to achieving net-zero emissions from national government operations by 2050, and hold themselves accountable by publishing roadmaps that establish long-term and interim targets and plans. To date, 34 countries have joined this initiative.

Most recently, the U.S. launched the Government Scope 3 Alliance, a first-of-its-kind international alliance to reduce Scope 3 emissions from the public sector, whose members commit to set Scope 3 emissions reduction targets for their government operations and to report on their progress.

Climate Smart White House: Leading by example, the Administration has worked to secure clean electricity that will power 95% of White House complex operations, including its facilities, vehicle fleets and new EV charging infrastructure. These climate smart improvements increase resilience and energy efficiency across multiple buildings that make up the Executive Office of the President campus, saving taxpayer dollars through lower utility bills and operating costs.

Fostering a Climate-Focused Workforce and Advancing Environmental Justice and Equity: The Biden-Harris Administration launched multiple programs for Federal employees to enhance their sustainability and climate literacy and learn about the critical role they play in shifting to more sustainable and resilient operations. This included a sustainability speaker series featuring climate change experts Al Roker, Bill Nye, and Kathryn Hayhoe, along with launching a first-of-its-kind climate adaptation training that has supported 1,500 Federal program acquisition managers with preparing for and managing climate risks. The Administration also established a Presidential Federal Sustainability Awards program to recognize federal agencies and employees who have tackled complex challenges and delivered results for a cleaner, more efficient Federal Government.

The Biden-Harris Administration has delivered on President Biden’s commitment to not only advance sustainability and resilience within the Federal Government, but to do so in ways that advance environmental justice and equity. For the first time ever, Federal agencies are required to link climate adaptation and sustainability planning efforts with advancing environmental justice and the Justice40 Initiative, which seeks to ensure that 40 percent of the overall benefits of certain Federal investments flow to disadvantaged communities that are marginalized by underinvestment and overburdened by pollution. The Administration also issued a final rule promoting sustainability, equity, and community engagement in decisions on where federal facilities are located. As part of President Biden’s Investing in America agenda, the General Services Administration announced $23.8 million for 13 projects at federal buildings across 10 states through GSA’s Good Neighbor Program. The 13 federal building improvement project sites were selected for their opportunity to make a positive impact on local communities.

Climate Action, Climate Change, New York State politics

NYS Governor Hochul Signs Landmark Climate Superfund Legislation Holding Fossil Fuel Companies Responsible for Pollution

Law Holds Fossil Fuel Companies Responsible for Impact of Pollution on

New York Communities

Bill Signed to Broaden State Ban on Hydraulic Fracturing

Actions are Latest Move to Strengthen State’s Climate Actions and Environmental Protection Laws to Prevent Harmful Impacts to New Yorkers

New York State Governor Kathy Hochul signed legislation creating a ‘Climate Superfund’ to support New York-based projects that bolster New York’s resiliency to dangerous climate impacts like flooding and extreme heat © Karen Rubin/news-photos-features.com 

Governor Kathy Hochul has  signed landmark legislation to bolster New York’s efforts to protect and restore the environment by requiring large fossil fuel companies to pay for critical projects that protect New Yorkers. Legislation S.2129-B/A.3351-B creates a ‘Climate Superfund’ to support New York-based projects that bolster New York’s resiliency to dangerous climate impacts like flooding and extreme heat.

“With nearly every record rainfall, heatwave, and coastal storm, New Yorkers are increasingly burdened with billions of dollars in health, safety, and environmental consequences due to polluters that have historically harmed our environment,” Governor Hochul said. “Establishing the Climate Superfund is the latest example of my administration taking action to hold polluters responsible for the damage done to our environment and requiring major investments in infrastructure and other projects critical to protecting our communities and economy.”

This landmark legislation shifts the cost of climate adaptation from everyday New Yorkers to the fossil fuel companies most responsible for the pollution. By creating a Climate Change Adaptation Cost Recovery Program, this law ensures that these companies contribute to the funding of critical infrastructure investments, such as coastal protection and flood mitigation systems, to enhance the climate resilience of communities across the state.

New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Interim Commissioner Sean Mahar said, “Holding polluters accountable for the damages they cause is essential to New York’s environmental protection efforts, and I commend Governor Hochul for signing this historic climate legislation into law. By ensuring those responsible for historic climate-altering emissions bear the costs of the significant health, environmental, and economic impacts already being passed on to New Yorkers, this law will complement the State’s efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, help communities adapt to the climate-driven impacts experienced today, and leverage the significant investments the Governor is making in climate resilience.”

“The Climate Change Superfund Act is now law, and New York has fired a shot that will be heard round the world: the companies most responsible for the climate crisis will be held accountable,” State Senator Liz Krueger said. “Too often over the last decade, courts have dismissed lawsuits against the oil and gas industry by saying that the issue of climate culpability should be decided by legislatures. Well, the Legislature of the State of New York – the 10th largest economy in the world – has accepted the invitation, and I hope we have made ourselves very clear: the planet’s largest climate polluters bear a unique responsibility for creating the climate crisis, and they must pay their fair share to help regular New Yorkers deal with the consequences. And there’s no question that those consequences are here, and they are serious. Repairing from and preparing for extreme weather caused by climate change will cost more than half a trillion dollars statewide by 2050. That’s over $65,000 per household, and that’s on top of the disruption, injury, and death that the climate crisis is causing in every corner of our state. The Climate Change Superfund Act is a critical piece of affordability legislation that will deliver billions of dollars every year to ease the burden on regular New Yorkers.”

State Senator Pete Harckham said,“As we anticipate the enormous costs associated with climate resiliency efforts to be shouldered by municipalities statewide, it made perfect sense, from the start, to require fossil fuel companies to help pay for the undeniable damage they have done to our environment. I applaud Governor Hochul for enacting the Climate Change Superfund Act and thank my colleague Sen. Krueger and the bill’s many sponsors and all the environmental advocates who fought to protect our residents while holding polluters accountable.”

“We refuse to let the entire burden of climate change fall on the backs of our taxpayers while Big Oil reaps record profits at the expense of our future,” Assemblymember Jeffrey Dinowitz said. “The Climate Change Superfund Act is a groundbreaking victory for accountability, fairness, and environmental justice. By ensuring the fossil fuel industry pays for some of the damages it has caused, we’re addressing the staggering costs of climate adaptation and setting a precedent for the nation to follow. This law is a testament to New York’s leadership in tackling the climate crisis head-on, and I am proud to have helped lead this battle every step of the way. I thank Governor Hochul for signing this landmark bill and State Senate Sponsor Liz Krueger for her leadership.”

Assemblymember Deborah Glick said, “As the year draws to a close, New York State takes a critical step forward with Governor Hochul’s signing a Climate Superfund bill into law. This law will require major fossil fuel companies to pay into a fund which will mitigate the climate damage their greenhouse gas emissions have engendered. All New Yorkers face climate challenges from extreme rain events or extreme heat and the remediation expenses that should be borne by the enormously profitable fossil fuel industry. These desperately needed funds will provide for projects all across New York as Governor Hochul implements a Climate Adaptation Program to invest in infrastructure and coastal resilience. Additionally, thanks to Governor Hochul New York has expanded protection from the harmful practice of hydro fracturing for oil and gas production with a ban on the use of carbon dioxide for this purpose.”

Environmental Advocates NY Executive Director Vanessa Fajans-Turner said,“Governor Hochul’s signing of the Climate Change Superfund Act and the CO2 Fracking Ban are pivotal steps in safeguarding New Yorkers’ wallets and water. These measures hold the fossil fuel industry accountable for the immense costs of climate change while closing dangerous loopholes that permitted harmful fracking practices. Together, they provide vital funding for infrastructure, protect public health, reduce financial burdens on families and disadvantaged communities, and strengthen the State’s economic resilience. These actions represent significant milestones in New York’s climate journey, setting a critical precedent for corporate accountability and forward-thinking leadership as we enter a new political era. We thank Senator Krueger, Senator Webb, Assemblymember Dinowitz, Assemblymember Kelles, and Governor Hochul for their leadership in advancing these critical measures for New Yorkers.”

Sierra Club Atlantic Chapter Conservation Director Roger Downs said,“New Yorkers are desperate for climate solutions because they have directly experienced how increasingly severe storms, floods, droughts, heatwaves, and public health emergencies are hurting our communities and undermining the affordability of everything. Fossil fuel companies for decades have plunged our planet into the climate crisis, without contributing any of their windfall profits to pay for the catastrophic damage they helped create. Thanks to Governor Hochul and the legislature this gross inequity is about to change. It is significant that as the Governor signs the Climate Superfund Act she also reaffirms New York’s ten-year-old fracking ban by closing loopholes that some unscrupulous companies have sought to exploit in the continued pursuit of gas extraction. These punitive measures against past polluters dovetail perfectly with the governor’s bold vision for a ‘Cap and Invest’ program that will help curb future greenhouse gas emissions and generate revenue to help New York transition to a more equitable clean energy economy. The Sierra Club is excited to see this momentum carry into 2025.”

“Thank you to Governor Hochul for signing the ban on drilling and fracking with carbon dioxide. New Yorkers can breathe a sigh of relief knowing that the loophole is closed and our state will remain frack free,” Frack Action Director Julia Walsh said. “Our thanks also to the legislature for passing the bill.”

New York Public Interest Research Group (NYPIRG) Executive Director Blair Horner said,“The governor’s approval of the Climate Change Superfund Act is a welcome holiday gift for New York taxpayers. Until her approval, New York taxpayers were 100% on the financial hook for climate costs. Now Big Oil will pay for much of the damages that they helped cause. As a result, New Yorkers will have their future tax burden reduced by $3 billion annually. This legislation is also designed to ensure that the oil industry will protect consumers from Climate Superfund costs being passed along. It’s a win for taxpayers and consumers. NYPIRG applauds the action by Governor Hochul, Senator Krueger, Assemblymember Dinowitz, and the other legislative supporters for making this innovative proposal become law.”

Another new significant climate law signed by Governor Hochul earlier this week expands upon New York State’s 2014 prohibition of high-volume hydraulic fracturing to extract natural gas. Legislation S.8357/A.8866 amends the State Environmental Conservation Law to prohibit the use of carbon dioxide in gas or oil extraction to prevent potential negative health or environmental effects from carbon dioxide fracking in the state.

State Senator Lea Webb said, “This is a significant win for our region and state, protecting our environment, our water, and the health of our communities from the harmful and uncertain impacts of CO2 fracking. I want to thank the advocates who have fought hard for this measure, Assemblymember Kelles, my Assembly and Senate partners, Senate Majority Leader Stewart Cousins and Governor Hochul for signing this into law, continuing our leadership in advancing New York’s sustainable and environmentally conscious policies.”

Assemblymember Anna Kelles said,“New York State wisely prohibited high-volume hydraulic fracturing in 2020, and I’m thankful to the Governor for signing this bill into law to expand the fracking ban and prevent the use of supercritical carbon dioxide for gas and oil extraction. The negative health and environmental consequences of fracking are only further exacerbated by the use of a highly corrosive supercritical CO2 substance for the purposes of extraction. Supercritical CO2 becomes highly corrosive in the presence of the smallest amount of water and is known to cause pipeline ruptures displacing ambient oxygen as well as destabilization of the very ground under our feet when used for oil and gas extraction due to soil and rock acidification and demineralization. This bill is closing a loophole in our state’s fracking ban to protect our people, our environment and our economy. I want to thank my bill cosponsor Senator Lea Webb and the tens of thousands of concerned citizens for helping to strengthen our states environmental protections against harmful fracking practices.”

New York State’s Climate Agenda

New York State’s climate agenda calls for an affordable and just transition to a clean energy economy that creates family-sustaining jobs, promotes economic growth through green investments, and directs a minimum of 35 percent of the benefits to disadvantaged communities. New York is advancing a suite of efforts to achieve an emissions-free economy by 2050, including in the energy, buildings, transportation, and waste sectors.

Climate Action, Infrastructure, News & Photo Features

NYS Makes $28.5 Million Additional Funding Available to Install EV Fast Chargers Along Major Travel Corridors

EV chargers at the I Love NY Visitor Center-Finger Lakes, Geneva, NY. New York State is making a big push to install EV fast chargers along main travel corridors © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com

Governor Kathy Hochul announced an additional $28.5 million is now available to install electric vehicle fast chargers along major travel corridors across New York State. Funded by the federal National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) formula funding program, the State’s new competitive Downstate Direct Current Fast Charger (DCFC) program will improve consumer access to reliable electric vehicle (EV) charging. This second round of NEVI funding focuses on locations south of Interstate 84, including the lower Hudson Valley, New York City, and Long Island.

“This critical federal NEVI funding supports New York State’s ongoing leadership to invest in a network of electric vehicle fast chargers, particularly in areas downstate that face heavy traffic,” Governor Hochul said. “Making quick, reliable charging easily available will encourage more people to drive EVs that help to lower pollution from vehicles, provide cleaner air for New Yorkers, and improve health in our communities.”

The competitive Downstate NEVI DCFC Program, administered by the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) in partnership with the New York State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT), provides funding to qualified EV infrastructure developers to install and operate DCFC stations at one or more sites along Federal Highway Administration-designated Alternative Fuel Corridors (AFCs). Proposed sites must meet all federal requirements, including being located within one travel mile of an AFC exit, being publicly accessible 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and having the ability to charge at least four EVs simultaneously at speeds of at least 150 kilowatts per vehicle. Sites are also required to meet federal uptime requirements for the percentage of time the charging station is functional. Proposals that close gaps between existing and planned charging stations, offer amenities such as restrooms and food, or have stations that provide multiple types of charging connectors (CCS and J3400), will be prioritized.

Designated AFCs eligible under the second round of the program include:

  • Interstate 87 south of I-84
    • Interstate 95
    • Interstate 278
    • Interstate 287
    • Interstate 495
    • Interstate 678
    • Interstate 684 south of I-84
    • New York 17 south of I-84
    • New York 25
    • New York 27

Proposals are due on March 18 by 3 p.m. ET. A complete list of all eligibility rules and evaluation criteria can be found at the solicitation summary on NYSERDA’s website.

NYSERDA will host a webinar on January 15 from 11 a.m. to 12 p.m. and another webinar on February 12 from 3 p.m. to 4 p.m. to provide more details on the solicitation, project requirements and the application process.

“Building on the NEVI funding made available earlier this year, NYSERDA is proud to support the expansion of fast chargers to more areas of the state. Matching federal funding with private industry expertise will build a robust, reliable, network of chargers helping to increase the number of options available for New Yorkers and visitors alike,” stated New York State Energy Research and Development Authority President and CEO Doreen M. Harris.

This announcement builds on the $21 million made available in September under the competitive Upstate NEVI Direct Current Fast Charger (DCFC) to expand the number of EV charging stations along and north of Interstate 84, including areas of the State north to the Canadian border and west to Buffalo. This funding opportunity closed on December 4, 2024 and proposals are now under evaluation.

The New York State Department of Transportation was allocated $175 million under the federal NEVI program and New York was one of the first states to open a DCFC site with NEVI funding in December 2023. This was followed by four additional locations opening in 2024. More DCFC NEVI-funded sites are expected to come online in New York by the end of next year. New York’s NEVI Plan describes how the State will invest its funding and was developed by NYSDOT in collaboration with NYSERDA; the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC); the New York Power Authority (NYPA); the New York State Department of Public Service (DPS); the New York State Thruway Authority (NYSTA); and the Long Island Power Authority (LIPA).

“Electric vehicle users on our downstate highway system need a dependable charging infrastructure that allows them to recharge their vehicles and reliably get them to where they need to go,” stated State Department of Transportation Commissioner Marie Therese Dominguez said. New York is an unquestioned national leader that is literally writing the national template for sustainability in the face of global climate change, and through the National Electric Vehicle Initiative, Governor Hochul is building a foundation for a sustainable highway network that will fuel the vehicles of tomorrow.”

Additionally, Governor Hochul in March announced more than 100 new EV fast chargers will be built in New York City. EV purchases in New York have risen 660% in the last five years, and there are currently more than 15,500 chargers (a combination of DCFC and Level 2 chargers) at more than 4,500 public locations across the State. Federal funding received in January 2024 has further facilitated this growth with New York State receiving a $15 million Charging and Fueling Infrastructure Program Grant for small- to medium-sized cities, state parks and other tourist destinations, such as hotels to build out the number of EV chargers. Separate federal awards under this program were made to the New York City Department of Transportation and Oneida County. Also, New York State was also awarded $13 million to repair or replace outdated, broken or non-operational EV charging ports through the Charger Reliability and Accessibility Accelerator Program.

“The installation of fast chargers at regular intervals in key locations along our more utilized roadways makes it easier for New Yorkers to drive an EV and reduces greenhouse gas emissions from transportation,” said New York Power Authority President and CEO Justin E. Driscoll.  “The New York Power Authority is pleased to see additional federal funding that will help accelerate the build-out of a reliable network of fast chargers that will improve travel throughout the lower Hudson Valley, New York City and Long Island—regions where many EV drivers live, work and play.”

New York State Thruway Authority Executive Director Frank G. Hoare said, “The Thruway Authority is committed to creating a robust network of electric vehicle charging stations along the 570-mile Thruway system, which spans from the lower Hudson Valley to Albany, west to the Pennsylvania state line. Currently there are 75 universal fast charging stations in operation on the Thruway and by the end of 2025, there will be more than 130 fast charging EV stations on the system. By offering electric vehicle charging stations an average of 30 miles between locations, customers will have a reliable, seamless system of electric vehicle charging stations that supports a modernized transportation system, serving millions of motorists every year.”

“The Bipartisan Infrastructure & Jobs Law I led to passage is supercharging new electric vehicle charging stations across New York, and this $28.5 million in federal funding from the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure grant program will help install electric vehicle fast chargers across the lower Hudson Valley, New York City, and Long Island,” Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer said. “More EV fast chargers will support the adoption of cleaner, electric vehicles, make charging your car in New York as easy and convenient as filling up a gas tank, and help create an emissions-free future. With this impactful federal support and partnership with the state, New York is getting a major jolt to build out their network of electric vehicle charging stations across the entire state.”

Senator Kirsten Gillibrand said, “With more electric vehicles on the road, it is essential that New York has the necessary charging infrastructure to meet the increased demand,” said Senator Gillibrand. “This Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funding will help install electric vehicle fast chargers throughout the state, helping ensure that all EV users can have the charging ports they need to get to their destinations. I was proud to have fought for the passage of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, and I will continue to make sure that New York’s infrastructure meets the needs of the 21st century.”

New York State is investing nearly $3 billion in electrifying its transportation sector, which is vital to meeting the State’s sweeping climate and clean energy plan, the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act. Under Governor Hochul’s leadership, New York is rapidly advancing measures that all new passenger cars and trucks sold be zero emissions by 2035, along with all school buses being zero emissions the same year. In addition to the NEVI program, there are a range of other initiatives to grow access to EVs and improve clean transit for all New Yorkers including EV Make Ready , EVolve NY , Charge Ready 2.0, the Drive Clean Rebate, the New York Truck Voucher Incentive Program (NYTVIP), the New York School Bus Incentive Program, and the Direct Current Fast Charger Program.

New York State’s climate agenda calls for an affordable and just transition to a clean energy economy that creates family-sustaining jobs, promotes economic growth through green investments, and directs a minimum of 35 percent of the benefits to disadvantaged communities. New York is advancing a suite of efforts to achieve an emissions-free economy by 2050, including in the energy, buildings, transportation, and waste sectors.

Biden Administration, Climate Action, Climate Change, Joe Biden, News & Photo Features

FACT SHEET: President Biden Sets 2035 Climate Target Aimed at Creating Good-Paying Union Jobs, Reducing Costs for All Americans

The U.S. Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) is an economy-wide, all greenhouse gas target of reducing net emissions by 61-66 percent below 2005 levels in 2035
 
The emissions reduction strategy includes leveraging landmark investments from the Inflation Reduction Act and Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, complemented by federal standards; coordinating with local, state, Tribal, and territorial governments; and mobilizing private capital

New York City gets ready for congestion pricing. As the United States continues to accelerate the transition to a clean energy economy, President Biden is announcing a new climate target for the United States: a 61-66 percent reduction in 2035 from 2005 levels in economy-wide net greenhouse gas emissions. It keeps the United States on a straight line or steeper path to achieve net-zero greenhouse gas emissions, economy-wide, by no later than 2050. © Karen Rubin/news-photos-features.com

In 2015, the world came together to finalize the Paris Agreement, an historic agreement joined by nearly every country in the world to address the climate crisis and protect the planet for future generations. On Day One of his Administration, President Biden fulfilled his promise to rejoin the Paris Agreement and set a course for the United States to tackle the climate crisis at home and abroad. In 2021, pursuant to the terms of the Paris Agreement, President Biden submitted a nationally determined contribution (NDC) with a target of reducing U.S. greenhouse gas emissions 50-52 percent from the 2005 baseline in 2030.
 
Today, as the United States continues to accelerate the transition to a clean energy economy, President Biden is announcing a new climate target for the United States: a 61-66 percent reduction in 2035 from 2005 levels in economy-wide net greenhouse gas emissions. It keeps the United States on a straight line or steeper path to achieve net-zero greenhouse gas emissions, economy-wide, by no later than 2050. In connection with this announcement, the United States is making a formal submission of this new target to the United Nations Climate Change secretariat as its next NDC under the Paris Agreement.
 
To develop the U.S. 2035 NDC, the Biden-Harris Administration analyzed how every economic sector – power generation, buildings, transportation, industry, agriculture and forestry– can spur innovation, unleash new opportunities, drive competitiveness, and cut pollution. Additionally, the United States anticipates, as part of achieving its 2035 NDC emissions target, methane reductions of at least 35 percent from 2005 levels in 2035. Cutting methane emissions is among the fastest ways to reduce near-term warming and is an essential complement to CO2 mitigation.
 
This 2035 NDC aligns with President Biden’s target of a net zero greenhouse gas economy no later than 2050 and marks an ambitious capstone to President Biden’s climate legacy, focused on investment, innovation, creating millions of good-paying and union jobs, building the clean energy economy of the future, reducing costs for all Americans, advancing environmental justice, and improving the health and security of communities across America. There are multiple paths to reach these targets, and U.S. Federal, state, local, territorial, and Tribal governments have numerous tools available to work with civil society and the private sector to mobilize investment in the years ahead while supporting a stronger, fairer economy.
 
Momentum from President Biden’s Climate and Economic Agenda
 
Since President Biden announced the 2030 NDC in April 2021 to reduce emissions 50-52% by 2030, the United States has designed and implemented a historic climate strategy that leverages emissions reduction and economic growth in every region of the country. Advanced through thousands of policies and actions undertaken by federal, state, territorial, Tribal, and local governments, the strategy includes passage of the landmarks Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) and the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), paired with strategic implementation of a regulatory agenda to ensure emissions reductions across every sector of the economy. This approach has equipped federal, state, territorial, Tribal, and local governments with additional resources and regulatory certainty to partner with the private sector to grow a new clean energy economy that benefits American workers and consumers. Implementation of this broad and comprehensive strategy has already led to more than $450 billion of private sector investment in domestic clean energy and manufacturing projects. This progress will accelerate as the Biden-Harris climate agenda continues to drive a wide range of investments in clean energy deployment and manufacturing in the years ahead. Examples include:
 

  • Arizona has added over 370,000 new jobs, and unleashed more than $120 billion in private sector investment. Investments include $5.5 billion to build a battery facility outside Phoenix that will produce batteries for 350,000 electric vehicles per year.
    • California has added over two million new jobs and more than $45 billion in private sector manufacturing and clean energy investment, including a $4 billion Gigafactory to produce lithium-ion batteries in Imperial Valley.
    • Georgia has added nearly half a million new jobs and mobilized more than $40 billion in private sector investment. Qcells is investing $2.5 billion to expand its solar panel and component manufacturing capacity in Dalton and Cartersville.
    • Maryland has added over 160,000 new jobs, and attracted more than $2.7 billion in private sector investment, including a $350 million investment from Constellation Energy to increase the output and lifespan of its renewable energy portfolio.
    • Pennsylvania has added more than 560,000 new jobs and unleashed nearly $4.3 billion in private sector investment, including a $500 million investment by Eos Energy Enterprises to expand battery manufacturing operations in Turtle Creek, supported by a loan guarantee from DOE’s Loan Programs Office.
    • Wisconsin has added more than 188,000 new jobs and $5.4 billion in private sector manufacturing and clean energy investments, including $426 million for the state’s first large-scale solar and battery storage project outside Milwaukee.

These investments and many more tell a clear story: the clean energy revolution is being built in America, and that will not be reversed.
 
Fundamental Economic and Technological Trends
 
Over the past four years the prices of clean energy generation and infrastructure have fallen dramatically. President Biden’s economic agenda, supported by complementary subnational government actions and private sector innovation, has reshaped the energy landscape now and for future generations so that American consumers and workers will benefit, especially in energy communities that have historically powered our nation. Along with the boom in domestic investments, technological advances across the energy sector are also making the U.S. clean energy revolution irreversible, including:
 

  • Clean Energy Generation. The levelized cost of utility-scale solar photovoltaic (PV) and onshore wind are dropping rapidly. In 2024, estimates for utility-scale solar PV and onshore wind are as low as $29 per megawatt hour and $27 per megawatt hour, respectively. On a levelized-cost basis, utility-scale solar is now broadly on par with fossil fuel sources, even before accounting for the environmental and public health benefits. A recent analysis indicates that 99 percent of all U.S. coal plants are more expensive to continue running than to replace with solar, wind, and energy storage resources. Geothermal power generation capacity is also accelerating, with 203 megawatts commissioned globally in 2023, up 12 percent from 2022. Recent technological advances, particularly in drilling, indicate the industry is on track to an average cost of $60-70/MWh by 2030 and $45/MWh by 2035. New enhanced geothermal capacity is already slated to meet the clean electricity demands of new industries. And the recent completion of the Vogtle nuclear power plant in Georgia, the nation’s first new nuclear reactors in over 30 years, as well as planned revitalizations of existing reactors, progress on advancedreactor technologies, and new private sectordemand, are all signs of further progress expanding nuclear power capacity ahead.
    • New and Better Transmission. Expanding and enhancing the U.S. transmission system is critical to the nation’s resilience and national security. Significant expansions of new and upgraded transmission lines by public and private sector entities, including SunZia Transmission in New Mexico, will facilitate the transmission of clean energy across the United States. Meanwhile, a new generation of modern grid technologies provides a significant opportunity to achieve power system capacity expansion, including through high-performance conductors that can carry two times (or more) the amount of power of conventional transmission wires, as well as grid enhancing technologies that maximize electricity transmission across the existing system through a family of technologies that includes sensors, power flow control devices, and analytical tools.
       
    • Battery Storage. Utility-scale battery storage has the potential to provide much-needed flexibility that supports renewable energy sources, and helps address grid infrastructure challenges. Between 2010 and 2023, the cost of utility-scale battery storage projects declined by 89%, to $273 per kilowatt hour, driven by improvements in manufacturing, materials efficiency, and manufacturing processes. Storage capacity additions also increased significantly, with additions of 22 gigawatt hours (GWh) in 2023. As the private sector continues to invest in new battery technologies and manufacturing processes, battery storage costs will continue to decline, supporting the clean energy economy of the future.
       
    • Energy Efficiency. Improvements in energy efficiency can cut pollution and save Americans on their energy and water bills. The Biden-Harris Administration has strengthened energy efficiency standards to save households and businesses money, with standards updated by DOE for dozens of appliances expected to provide nearly $1 trillion in consumer savings over 30 years, saving the average household more than $100 a year while also reducing greenhouse gas emissions by more than 2 billion metric tons. Efficient equipment such as heat pumps powered by clean electricity are already making heating, cooling, and hot water more affordable for a growing number of American homes. 2022 marked the first year that heat pump sales outpaced fossil fuel furnaces in the US; in 2023, heat pumps outsold gas furnaces by 27 percent, demonstrating the technology’s growing popularity with consumers. When paired with energy efficiency improvements, like insulation, heat pumps lower the cost of heating and cooling, while improving indoor and outdoor air quality.
  • Clean Steel and Clean Concrete. Producing steel and concrete, fundamental building blocks of the modern economy, accounts for more than 15 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions. Clean steel and concrete are already being produced in the United States. Major steelmakers are now using Inflation Reduction Act investments to build and retrofit American steel facilities to produce cleaner steel. Innovative low carbon methods for concrete production can reduce emissions by eliminating the need for high temperatures or through the use of alternative low carbon feedstocks. These innovative concretes are more durable and stronger than conventional concrete, improving the performance of infrastructure investments and resulting in long term savings. As clean hydrogen and clean electricity prices continue to fall, producers will be able to further slash emissions using these cleaner inputs.
    • Clean Hydrogen. Hydrogen has the potential to reduce emissions across a host of sectors, including transportation and heavy industry. Key cost drivers of green hydrogen production, including the capital expenditure for electrolyzers and the price of renewable energy, are expected to decline in years ahead due to economies of scale, delivering green hydrogen at a lower price point. Combined, these two cost declines could translate to a significant reduction in green hydrogen production costs, from $3-6 per kilogram today to $1.50 – 2 by 2035.
  • Clean Cars and Trucks. Electric vehicles (EVs) are already selling at a record pace in the United States, supported by falling component prices as well as fuel and maintenance cost savings for consumers. From 2018 to 2022, the sales-weighted average price of electric cars decreased, and the price gap between internal combustion vehicles and EVs has begun to close. Through 2035, falling EV component prices will drive down the purchase price for EVs and bring new customers to the EV market. For instance, battery prices are set to fall by as much as 50 percent through 2026 thanks to improved technology and expanded production of key inputs. Federal standards support these market developments: the strongest-ever national pollution standards for passenger cars and heavy-duty vehicles are providing certainty for the automobile industry, catalyzing private investment, creating good-paying union jobs, improving public health, and expanding consumer choice in clean vehicles.
  • Federal Sustainability. With broad support from America’s manufacturers, clean energy developers, labor organizations, business leaders, states, and communities, the Federal Government’s 300,000 buildings, 600,000 vehicles, and $750 billion in annual procurement power will continue to be more sustainable and resilient while supporting good jobs, cutting costs, and saving taxpayers money.

 
Action and Leadership from state, local, Tribal, and territorial governments
 
State, local, Tribal, and territorial governments in the United States have a long history of climate leadership that has laid the groundwork for subsequent federal action, including the Inflation Reduction Act. Many critical climate levers, especially in the transportation, electricity, and building sectors, lie largely within the domain of these governments. In the years ahead, leveraging and expanding the new clean energy economy enabled by the Biden-Harris Administration’s policies and bolstered by strong economic tailwinds supporting clean energy, these governments will ensure that the United States remains all-in on climate action. States, territories, cities, counties, and Tribal governments together have the capacity to step in and deliver on climate ambition. In the years ahead, we expect that subnational and Tribal governments will adopt new and strengthen existing climate-forward policies such as:
 

  • Climate Action Plan Implementation: Through support from the Inflation Reduction Act, more than 45 states and more than 200 Tribes, territories, and metro areas have now developed their own Climate Action Plans, representing a historic set of opportunities for subnational climate progress across sectors. More than $4 billion of Climate Pollution Reduction Grants awarded by the Biden-Harris Administration will also advance 59 implementation projects across 30 states, 33 Tribal Nations, and 1 territory to reduce climate pollution from every sector of the economy. Many of these projects can be expanded and provide examples that other states, local governments, Tribes, and even businesses can replicate in their work to tackle the climate crisis.
    • Innovative Solutions to Cut Pollution from the Existing Transportation Systems. California, Washington, and Oregon have developed and implemented, or started to implement, programs that reduce emissions from the transportation sector through a predictable, market-based approach, generating climate and local-air quality benefits for residents and communities. New York City and State adopted and implemented the country’s first-ever congestion pricing program, which will reduce climate pollution and provide a stable funding source for mass transit. Other states have the opportunity to build on these successful policy initiatives in their own jurisdictions.
       
    • Renewable Portfolio Standards (RPSs) and Clean Energy Standards (CESs). Today, twenty-five states and the District of Columbia have set RPSs and eight others have adopted CESs, which will increase the generation of low- and zero-carbon electricity. Adoption of these standards by additional states, as well as the strengthening of existing standards, provides significant upside for reducing climate pollution.
       
    • Building Energy Codes. Many subnational governments have already adopted or are in the process of adopting the most up-to-date energy codes to ensure new building construction is energy efficient and lowering emissions for years to come. Subnational governments are also reducing energy costs and emissions in existing buildings, with almost 25 percent of commercial buildings subject to a building performance standard or located in a community with plans to adopt building performance standards.
       
    • State Procurement of Low-Carbon Materials. The Biden-Harris Administration’s landmark Federal Buy Clean Initiative leverages the sway of the U.S. government, as the largest purchaser on Earth, to spur demand for clean American manufacturing of materials that form the bedrock of our economy. Thirteen states have joined the Federal-State Buy Clean Partnership and committed to prioritizing efforts that support procurement of lower-carbon infrastructure materials in state-funded projects. These states can continue to work together to send a clear, harmonized demand signal to the marketplace for the long-term decarbonization of essential industries.
       
    • Financing Climate Solutions. With support from the Inflation Reduction Act’s Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund (GGRF), the national network for financing clean energy and climate solutions across sectors is larger than ever before. The National Clean Investment Fund awardees are establishing national clean financing institutions that deliver accessible and affordable financing for clean technology projects nationwide, and the Clean Communities Investment Accelerator awardees are establishing hubs that provide funding and technical assistance to community lenders working in low-income and disadvantaged communities.
       
    • State and Regional Efforts to Cap Emissions. 15 states and Puerto Rico have binding economy-wide emissions targets in law, covering more than 115 million Americans across the country. Voters in Washington State recently upheld a groundbreaking law requiring companies to cut carbon emissions while investing in programs that benefit the public, such as habitat restoration and climate adaptation. This recent success builds on initiatives such as the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI), a regional program that requires certain power plants to acquire allowances for every ton of CO2 emitted.

In the years to come, leadership will come from all across American society – cities and states, Tribes and territories, small and big businesses, working communities, individual Americans and the private sector working together to seize the economic opportunity, create jobs, and build the clean energy economy. This new clean energy economy, enabled by the forward-looking policies of this Administration, will continue to grow – and the United States will continue to create good jobs and cut carbon pollution right here at home.

Biden Administration, Climate Action, Climate Change, Energy, Infrastructure, Jobs, Manufacturing, News & Photo Features

Memo to America: Biden’s Investing in America Policy to Building Sustainable Economy Has Generated $1 Trillion in Private Sector Investment in Clean Energy, Manufacturing

More than 3.4 million American families have already saved $8.4 billion on home clean energy upgrades, thanks to the Inflation Reduction Act. Three million more households in America have high-speed internet today than when President Biden took office. There are already more than 74,000 infrastructure and clean energy projects underway across the country, funded by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, CHIPS and Science Act, and Inflation Reduction Act. That includes 11,400 bridge projects, 196,000 miles of roads under repair, and 376,000 lead pipes already replaced, benefitting nearly 1 million people. Millions of seniors are benefitting from the $35 cap on the cost of insulin, and the cap on out-of-pocket prescription drug costs for Medicare beneficiaries has already saved 1.5 million seniors nearly $1 billion in the first half of 2024, with Medicare beneficiaries feeling the full benefits starting in January. © Karen Rubin/news-photos-features.com

People said they voted against Kamala Harris because they were just so so very upset about inflation, how they were suffering in this terrible economy, so voted for the guy who not only had no policy, plan or program to address inflation or high prices, but whose stated Project 2025 policies (tariffs) would hurt the economy, jobs and prices. But I am wondering how bad the economy really could be if holiday spending is already up 9%, malls and online sites are seeing massive increases in shoppers, there is record travel on the roads and through airports. Oh, by the way, gas prices are around $3 or less a gallon – close to 2019; – and inflation has fallen below 2.3% for the year, comparable to 2019, while REAL wage increases (that is increased income compared to inflation) are up on average $4000; Thanksgiving meal prices are down. But those working class people (suckers) who think that Trump will give them a better deal? Are you kidding or just really willfully ignorant? Have you seen the billionaires, kleptocrats, oligarchs (not to mention the misogynists, sexual predators and felons) he is installing in power? They are already salivating at shutting down the National Labor Relations Board, ending food and product safety regulation, environmental protection, restricting food stamps and vaccinations for poor children and cutting Medicare and Social Security, while serving up deeper tax cuts for the wealthiest individuals (the top 0.1% already control more wealth than 50 percent of the country) and corporations, already sitting on record profits from price-gouging.

Biden’s Deputy Chief of Staff offered this memo “to interested parties” on what President Biden accomplished that I’m betting 99.9% of Americans have no clue about $1 TRILLION in private sector investment in clean energy and manufacturing since President Biden and Vice President Harris took office because of Biden’s Investing in America agenda, Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, CHIPS and Science Act, Inflation Reduction Act – all of which Republicans tried to block, obstruct, sabotage and now threaten to repeal.It’s like the way Republicans were able to generate hostility to Obama’s Affordable Care Act in order to win the 2010 midterms and how Obamacare has become so popular and important in people’s lives, but Trump and the MAGA Republicans are still keen to repeal it, leaving millions without healthcare desperate and insecure – Karen Rubin, news-photos-features.com

On the success of $1 trillion in investment due to his policies and approach to building a sustainable economy “from the bottom up and the middle out,” President Biden stated:

When I took office, the pandemic was raging and the economy was reeling. From Day One, I was determined to not only deliver economic relief, but to invest in America and grow the economy from the middle out and bottom up, not the top down.

Over the last four years, that’s exactly what we’ve done. We passed legislation to rebuild our infrastructure, build a clean energy economy, and bring manufacturing back to the United States after decades of offshoring. Today I’m proud to announce my Investing in America agenda—the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the CHIPS and Science Act, and the Inflation Reduction Act—has helped attract over $1 trillion in announced private-sector investments. These investments in industries of the future are ensuring the future is made in America, by American workers. And they’re creating opportunities in communities too often left behind.

Over 1.6 million construction and manufacturing jobs have been created over the last four years, and our investments are making America a leader in clean energy and semiconductor technologies that will protect our economic and national security, while expanding opportunities in red states and blue states.

Today, thanks to my Investing in America agenda, businesses around the world are investing in America—which is good news for American workers and American businesses—and we’re positioned to win the economic competition for the 21st century.

To: Interested Parties

From: Natalie Quillian, White House Deputy Chief of Staff

MEMO: President Biden’s Investing in America Agenda’s Growing Durability and Popularity

When President Biden and Vice President Harris came into office, America was in the midst of a deadly pandemic and our economy was reeling. Since then, President Biden and Vice President Harris have overseen one of the most successful administrations in history and will be leaving behind the best economy in the world.

Under President Biden and Vice President Harris’ leadership, 16 million jobs have been created, and we’ve gotten women and people of color back in the labor force at record rates. A record 20 million new business applications have been filed, and inflation is down to near pre-pandemic levels. These outcomes are due in part to our success in passing and implementing legislation that rebuilt our nation’s infrastructure, made the largest investment in climate action in history, lowered prescription drug costs, and spurred a manufacturing renaissance. Together, the American Rescue Plan, the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the CHIPS and Science Act, and the Inflation Reduction Act – the Biden-Harris Administration’s Investing in America agenda – are reshaping our economy. And as of today, that agenda has helped spur over $1 trillion in private sector investment in clean energy and manufacturing since President Biden and Vice President Harris took office.

The level of private sector investment seen under this administration is unprecedented. Business leaders have called the boom in private investment “nothing short of extraordinary,” and have said the United States’ economy is “among the best performing economies” in decades. It is driving a manufacturing renaissance across the country and onshoring new and growing industries such as semiconductors, solar, batteries, and more. It’s also helping rebuild communities and create opportunity in places that were overlooked or left behind by public and private investment for far too long.

As of today, the Department of Commerce has announced over two dozen preliminary or final agreements with semiconductor manufacturing companies to create American-made chips in Phoenix, Arizona; Columbus, Ohio; Taylor, Texas; Syracuse, New York, and more, spurring over $400 billion in private investment that will create at least 125,000 jobs. Over $119 billion in investments in EVs and batteries and $122 billion in clean power have been announced in just the two years since the Inflation Reduction Act was signed. Recent announcements show these investments have continued at a steady pace. For example, in the last month alone, SolarCycle announced it would invest $400 million in Georgia for the largest solar panel recycling facility in the country, MainSpring Energy announced it would match an $87 million grant from the Department of Energy to manufacture power generators in Allegheny County, PA, and Microporous announced a $1.35 billion investment to create 2,000 jobs building battery separators in southern Virginia.

In addition to private investment, the Biden-Harris Administration has been implementing these laws quickly, effectively and equitably since the day the first Investing in America bill was signed. Due to that effort, there are already more than 74,000 infrastructure and clean energy projects underway across the country, funded by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, CHIPS and Science Act, and Inflation Reduction Act. That includes 11,400 bridge projects, 196,000 miles of roads under repair, and 376,000 lead pipes already replaced, benefitting nearly 1 million people. More than 3.4 million American families have already saved $8.4 billion on home clean energy upgrades, thanks to the Inflation Reduction Act. Three million more households in America have high-speed internet today than when President Biden took office. Millions of seniors are benefitting from the $35 cap on the cost of insulin, and the cap on out-of-pocket prescription drug costs for Medicare beneficiaries has already saved 1.5 million seniors nearly $1 billion in the first half of 2024, with Medicare beneficiaries feeling the full benefits starting in January.

To date, the Biden-Harris Administration has announced awards for 98% of Investing in America funding available for us to spend by the end of fiscal year 2024. Departments and agencies are running through the tape – announcing more awards, finalizing contracts and grant agreements, and accelerating permitting timelines. For example, the Department of Transportation executed more than twice as many grant agreements compared to the prior administration, completed 20 percent more environmental reviews in the transportation sector, and cut the time it takes to complete environmental assessments for transportation projects by one third.

These programs and projects mean real benefits for people across the country. It’s why as we continue to implement the Investing in America agenda, we see these programs grow in popularity even among skeptics, suggesting that the transformation of the U.S. economy is here to stay. For example:

  • Nearly 8 in 10 Americans support keeping the Inflation Reduction Act’s $35 per month cap on the cost of insulin for seniors, including 76% of Republicans.
  • A Reuters/Ipsos poll found that 88% of Americans support the Administration’s work building or repairing our nation’s roads, bridges, rail lines, ports and other infrastructure.
  • Outside groups have found that the majority of private sector investments spurred by Inflation Reduction Act’s tax credits are going to red districts, and 57 percent of the new clean energy jobs created since the Inflation Reduction Act passed are located in Congressional districts represented by Republicans.

The progress we’ve made, however, represents only a fraction of the full impact of this agenda. As the President said earlier this month, the impacts of this historic agenda “will be felt over the next 10 years.” If future Administrations continue to implement at the pace we have, people across the country will enjoy the benefits of safer water, cleaner air, faster internet, and smoother commutes.  For example, by the end of 2026, the country is on track to have launched repairs on a total of over 356,000 miles of highway and over 20,800 bridges with funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. By the end of 2028, communities will replace more than one million toxic lead pipes, bringing clean water to over 2.5 million people and protecting the health and safety of children and families.  And by 2030, 6 million more households and small businesses will have access to affordable, reliable, high-speed internet.

Also, major projects we’ve funded will be completed in the coming years. For example, TSMC’s first Arizona factory will fully open in early 2025 and for the first time in decades, an American manufacturing plant will produce leading-edge chips. Service on the Brightline West High Speed Rail System, connecting Las Vegas, Nevada to Rancho Cucamonga, California, is on track to start in 2028, in time for the Los Angeles Olympics. A project to replace Michigan’s outdated I-375 freeway will be completed in the same year.

Over the coming months, the Biden-Harris Administration will continue the critical work of implementing the Investing in America agenda by announcing more awards, finalizing contracts and grant agreements, and making sure these investments are reaching the American people. While the full effects won’t be realized for years to come, it’s clear that the Investing in America agenda – and its impacts on the economy, on communities, and on American families – is here to stay.

Biden Administration, Climate Action, Climate Change, News & Photo Features

FACT SHEET: Biden-Harris Administration Leverages Historic U.S. Climate Leadership at Home and Abroad to Urge Countries to Accelerate Global Climate Action at COP29

Solar panels and sustainable agricultural practices in upstate New York. At COP29, the Biden-Harris Administration is highlighting global economic opportunities afforded by accelerating climate action in this decisive decade and will announce new initiatives to galvanize global efforts to keep a resilient, 1.5°C future within reach. © Karen Rubin/news-photos-features.com

This fact sheet on how the Biden-Harris Administration is leveraging its historic U.S. climate leadership at home and abroad to urge countries at the 29th U.N. Climate Change Conference (COP29)  to accelerate their global climate action  is provided by the White House:

Since Day One, President Biden has treated climate change as not only one of the greatest challenges of our time, but also as a once-in-a-generation opportunity to unleash a new era of economic growth, good-paying union jobs, historic investment, and energy security. The United States heads into the 29th U.N. Climate Change Conference (COP29) in Baku, Azerbaijan with a four-year record of spearheading the most significant climate action in history at home and leading efforts to tackle the climate crisis abroad.  At COP29, the Biden-Harris Administration will highlight global economic opportunities afforded by accelerating climate action in this decisive decade and will announce new initiatives to galvanize global efforts to keep a resilient, 1.5°C future within reach.

At home, actions like the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) – the largest ever investment by any country in clean energy and climate action – and Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) have unleashed an unprecedented wave of investment and ignited a clean manufacturing boom.  These actions have stimulated over $450 billion in announced private investment in clean energy manufacturing and deployment since the start of the Biden-Harris Administration and created over 330,000 clean energy jobs in just over two years, with an additional 1.5 million jobs projected to be created over the next decade.  Hard-hit communities are reaping the biggest economic benefits – since the IRA passed, 75% of private clean energy investments have occurred in counties with lower than median household incomes, and clean energy investment in energy communities has doubled. This government-enabled, private-sector led approach, complemented by increased action from state and local governments, has set the United States on a path to achieve our 1.5°C-aligned emissions target under the Paris Agreement.  And historic investments in climate and disaster resilience are making communities across the country safer and stronger in the face of extreme weather events, which we know are getting more frequent and more dangerous because of climate change.
 
The investments the United States is making at home are catalyzing progress abroad, lowering the cost of clean energy for everyone and saving hundreds of billions of dollars globally.  The IRA is projected to produce more than $5 trillion in global economic benefits from reduced climate pollution between now and 2050.  Over the next seven years, according to analysis from the Department of Energy (DOE), twice as much U.S. wind, solar, and battery deployment is expected than would have been without the IRA.  This progress complements U.S. efforts to rally other countries to accelerate the clean energy transition and enhance their climate ambition.
 
At COP29, the U.S. delegation will promote U.S. efforts to seize the economic opportunities of the clean energy transition, address the risks climate change poses to our national security, and accelerate climate action in this decisive decade.  Key announcements include:
 

  • Powering Forward with Ambitious Domestic Climate Action – by announcing the finalization of a new rule to reduce economically wasteful methane emissions; establishing new, bold targets for expanding U.S. nuclear energy capacity and releasing a framework to achieve them; and highlighting new actions to unlock potential for a new source of clean baseload power: enhanced geothermal.
  • Accelerating Global Climate Action to Keep the 1.5°C Goal Within Reach – by driving progress on reducing methane and other high-impact non-carbon dioxide (CO2) greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions (“super pollutants”) at a COP29 Summit on Methane and Non-CO2 GHGs alongside China and Azerbaijan and announcing new efforts to implement the over $1 billion in grant funding unveiled at COP28 as part of the Methane Finance Sprint; by announcing new members of the Carbon Management Challenge that President Biden launched in 2023; and by announcing new investments and initiatives to help partners transition away from unabated coal, deploy renewables, and reduce emissions in hard-to-abate sectors.
  • Mobilizing Finance at Scale – including by scaling up U.S. international climate finance for developing countries from $1.5 billion in FY21 to $9.5 billion in FY23, a more than sixfold increase that was enabled by record-high levels of investment across the USG, including the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation (DFC) and the Export-Import Bank of the United States (EXIM).  This increase puts the United States on track to meet President Biden’s pledge to work with Congress to scale up our support to over $11 billion per year by 2024.  The United States is also announcing a new $1 billion guarantee for the Asian Development Bank’s (ADB) Innovative Finance Facility for Climate in Asia and the Pacific (IF-CAP), which will unlock over $4.5 billion in investment, and supporting the launch of the Climate Investment Funds Capital Markets Mechanism, which is projected to raise $5 billion or more over 10 years.
  • Bolstering Global Climate Resilience – by scaling up U.S. support for vulnerable developing countries to over $3 billion in FY23 to implement the President’s Emergency Plan for Adaptation and Resilience (PREPARE), achieving President Biden’s pledge to do so by 2024 one year early; by expanding access to cutting-edge climate information, data, and early-warning systems in over 80 countries; and by marshalling over $3 billion in additional resources since 2022 from 40 U.S. and global companies and partners in response to the PREPARE Private Sector Call to Action.
  • Advancing Women’s and Girls’ Leadership in Tackling the Climate Crisis – by announcing new investments to support the Women in the Sustainable Economy (WISE) Initiative, a public-private partnership launched by Vice President Harris in 2023 through which the United States has galvanized over $2 billion in commitments by governments, private sector companies, foundations, and civil society to bolster women’s economic participation in sectors such as clean energy, fisheries, recycling, forest management, and environmental conservation.

 
POWERING FORWARD WITH AMBITIOUS DOMESTIC CLIMATE ACTION

  • Reducing Wasteful Methane Emissions – Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced a final rule to reduce methane emissions from the oil and gas sector, following the directive from Congress in the IRA to collect a Waste Emissions Charge to better ensure valuable natural gas reaches the market rather than polluting the air.  Today’s final rule delivers on this directive and incentivizes companies to take near-term action to conserve valuable energy resources and reduce methane emissions – a potent GHG that is responsible for approximately one-third of the global warming we are now experiencing. EPA estimates that this rule alone will result in cumulative emissions reductions of 34 million metric tons CO2-equivalent by 2035, with cumulative climate benefits of up to $2 billion. Today’s final rule is just one of more than 100 actions that U.S. Federal agencies have taken in 2024 alone to sharply reduce methane emissions under the U.S. Methane Emissions Reduction Action Plan, helping to deliver on the Global Methane Pledge. U.S. actions this year have included plugging leaks and regulating emissions in the oil and gas sector, remediating pollution from abandoned coal mines, curbing food waste and emissions from agriculture practices, investing in cleaner industrial processes and buildings, and building a new, integrated system of satellite, aerial, and on-the-ground detections to stop major methane emissions events.
  • Establishing Bold Targets for Expanding Domestic Nuclear Energy and Announcing  a Framework for Action to Achieve Them – acknowledging the crucial role that nuclear power will play to support energy security and clean economic growth, the United States is establishing a national goal to build 200 GW of new nuclear power generation capacity by 2050, as our Nation’s contribution to the global “Declaration to Triple Nuclear Energy” from 2020 levels endorsed by 25 countries at COP28.  The United States is also establishing nearer-term targets to jumpstart the expansion of nuclear energy deployment with 35 GW of new domestic nuclear energy capacity built or under construction by 2035 and ramping-up to a sustained pace of producing 15 GW per year by 2040.  These targets are part of “Safely and Responsibly Expanding U.S. Nuclear Energy to Tackle the Climate Crisis and Invest in America: Deployment Targets and a Framework for Action” that establishes a set of guiding principles for successfully scaling up nuclear energy in the United States in a manner that advances core values and commitments—including ensuring public health and safety protecting the environment, ensuring energy affordability, meaningfully engaging with communities and delivering local community benefits, honoring Tribal sovereignty, advancing environmental justice, and promoting national security.  The Framework also and identifies more than 30 key actions the U.S. government can take, along with the U.S. nuclear energy industry, power customers, and civil society, to meet this moment.  To help inform implementation of this Framework, the Administration is launching Tribal consultation and will issue a Request for Information to ensure that governmental, public and community engagement inform implementation of this Framework.
  • Doubling the Number of Scalable Clean Baseload Power Sources by Rapidly Commercializing Geothermal Energy – The Administration’s recent actions are enabling enhanced geothermal to become a key source of clean baseload power and heat in the United States. Last month, the U.S. Bureau of Land Management approved in record time the development of the world’s largest next-generation geothermal project, which has the potential to generate up to 2 GW, proposed a new environmental review tool to facilitate confirmation of geothermal resources on federal lands, and hosted the largest lease sale of federal lands for geothermal electricity projects in more than 15 years. This year, the Department of Energy (DOE) also made the first federal investment of $60 million under BIL to support novel demonstration projects for next-generation geothermal technologies. As a result of these efforts, within one year of the first 3.5 MW enhanced geothermal project’s delivery of power in November 2023, over 600 MW of power purchase agreements have been signed for geothermal power using this pioneering technology—presenting new pathways to leverage oil and gas industry expertise and workforces to support a robust, resilient, and secure energy grid with good jobs.
  • Leading by Example by Reducing U.S. Government Emissions – by announcing a new suite of actions to reduce the U.S. government’s indirect (“Scope 3”) emissions and engage other governments and suppliers.  This includes launching a new target to reduce the Federal Government’s Scope 3 emissions by 30% by 2030 – the equivalent of 40 million metric tons of CO2 annually – and releasing the first comprehensive measurement of the federal Scope 3 footprint. The United States is also launching the Government Scope 3 Alliance, a coalition of national and state governments whose members commit to set Scope 3 targets for government operations and report annually on progress.
  • Releasing a National Marine Carbon Dioxide Removal Research Strategy – Today, the White House is releasing a new national strategy to advance research on the benefits, risks, and tradeoffs associated with marine carbon dioxide removal, a set of innovative technologies that could help address the climate crisis in concert with substantial cuts to carbon emissions.  Marine CO2 removal uses ocean processes to increase the amount of atmospheric carbon dioxide the ocean removes from the atmosphere, but it requires additional research to determine if it is a safe and effective climate tool.  The strategy, which responds to a key objective of the Ocean Climate Action Plan, provides recommendations to guide accountable research, ensure community engagement, and clarify the regulatory process for scientific researchers.

ACCELERATING GLOBAL CLIMATE ACTION
 
President Biden has rallied world leaders to accelerate action in key areas that the latest science has identified as critical to keeping the goal of limiting average warming to 1.5°C within reach.  At COP29, the United States announced progress in each of these key areas, including:
 

  • Reducing Methane and Other Non-CO2 GHG Super Pollutants:
     
  • Hosting a COP29 Summit on Methane and Non-CO2 GHGs –  The Summit, co-hosted with China and Azerbaijan, showcased new actions to cut emissions of these climate super-pollutants that account for over half of warming, including national commitments to cover all GHGs in national climate targets, new policy and regulatory actions, and new scientific progress.  As the two largest emitters in the world, responsible for roughly 10% and 30% of global GHG emissions, respectively, the United States and China have helped catalyze global attention on non-CO2 GHGs. These efforts include the Global Methane Pledge (GMP), which more than 155 countries have now endorsed and are taking steps to meet the goal to cut global methane emissions by 30% by 2030. At COP29, with announcements from new countries, there are now nearly 100 methane action plans completed or underway, including China’s national action plan on methane and the United States’s Methane Emissions Reduction Action Plan update. The Climate and Clean Air Coalition, which serves as GMP Secretariat, is funding implementation projects in 65 countries. 
  • Mobilizing billions to tackle super pollutants – At the COP29 Non-CO2 Summit, partners announced implementation steps for over $1 billion in grant funding previously announced at COP28 as part of the Methane Finance Sprint. This grant funding is already mobilizing billions more in methane-related project investment by the World Bank, International Fund for Agricultural Development, and regional multilateral development banks, among others.
  • Leveraging new action and science to cut nitrous oxide (N2O) and Tropospheric Ozone – The United States and partners announced new global action and science on cutting super pollutants like N2O and tropospheric ozone, which account for roughly one-fifth of today’s warming, with significant impacts on public health and agricultural productivity. New steps include the release of a Global N2O Assessment, the United Nations  Environment Program’s new commitment to advance science on reducing climate impacts of tropospheric ozone, and private sector steps to tackle N2O and tropospheric ozone precursors.
  • Leading Global Efforts to Accelerate Nuclear Energy Deployment:
  • Implementing and expanding the effort to triple nuclear energy – by co-leading a coalition of countries working to advance the global goal of tripling nuclear energy capacity from 2020 levels by 2050, including by setting an example that shows how the United States will do its part, by establishing 2050 and nearer-term domestic nuclear energy deployment targets and outlining a Framework for Action.  Thirty countries from four continents now endorse the Declaration to Triple Nuclear Energy, after an additional five countries joined the effort at COP29.  Endorsers also highlighted recent stakeholder support for the effort, including from 14 major global financial institutions that announced support for the tripling goal during New York Climate Week in September 2024.
  • Supporting Ukraine’s leadership in safe and secure nuclear energy – by announcing $30 million in funding from the U.S. Department of State for cooperation with Ukraine under the Foundational Infrastructure for Responsible Use of Small Modular Reactor (SMR) Technology (FIRST) program to develop: (1) a Clean Fuels from SMRs Pilot Plant, which will demonstrate the production of clean hydrogen and ammonia, a key ingredient in fertilizers, in Ukraine using simulated SMR technology; (2) Project Phoenix, to facilitate the conversion of Ukraine’s coal plants to SMRs by developing a comprehensive strategy, conducting feasibility studies, and providing advisory services; and (3) the Clean Steel from SMR Roadmap, which will help rebuild, modernize, and decarbonize Ukraine’s steel industry using clean electricity, process heat, and hydrogen from SMRs for steel manufacturing.
  • U.S. – Romania Partnership to Create Over 1.5 GW of Clean Energy – Sargent & Lundy (U.S.), AtkinsRealis (Canada), and Ansaldo (Italy) reached a new milestone in the Cernavoda nuclear power plant project, and finalized a contract for an international consortium to complete two new reactors at Romania’s Cernavoda site, which, once completed, will generate over 1.5 GW of clean power for the region. The U.S. Department of Energy and the Romania Ministry of Energy facilitated the agreement and catalyzed the project by signing an intergovernmental agreement between the U.S. and Romania.
  • Decarbonizing the Energy Sector by Scaling Technologies Critical to Achieving the 1.5°C Goal:
  • Advancing the goal to triple renewable energy and double energy efficiency – including by co-leading the effort to establish international goals at COP29 to increase energy storage and expand and modernize grids, two key ingredients needed to scale up renewable energy in line with keeping the 1.5°C goal within reach.  Endorsers of the Energy Storage and Grids Pledge will set global goals to achieve 1500 GW of energy storage and 25 million km of built or refurbished grids by 2030, with an additional 65 million km by 2040.  The United States also provided over $4.5 billion in support for international clean energy projects in FY23, which will significantly advance efforts to triple renewable energy and double efficiency by 2030.
  • Zero Emissions and Resilient Buildings Accelerator (ZERB Accelerator) – which brings together a cohort of leading cities, states, and regions committed to ambitious climate mitigation and resilience goals in the buildings sector, including the collective reduction of annual emissions by at least 50 million metric tons below 2020 levels, by 2030.  Incubated by the Subnational Climate Action Leaders’ Exchange (SCALE) partnership, the initiative will strengthen multilevel collaboration between these subnational jurisdictions and their national governments and will mobilize a broad coalition of organizations offering support in the areas of policy and technical assistance, financing, and measuring, reporting, and verification capacity to move the building sector to zero emissions and resiliency.
  • Advancing the Carbon Management Challenge – Since President Biden announced the Carbon Management Challenge (CMC) last year at the Major Economies Forum on Energy and Climate, 22 countries and the European Commission have joined the initiative.  This includes 5 new members since COP28: Bahrain, Kenya, Mauritania, Nigeria, and Senegal.  In the past year, the CMC established a Secretariat to advance carbon management at the billion-ton scale by delivering outcomes on (1) developing country finance; (2) project deployment and tracking; and (3) strategic communications and engagement.
  • Launching the U.S-India Low Carbon Comfort Cooling Collective – a new initiative aimed at harnessing the power of the public and private sectors to mobilize large-scale private investment towards a 50% reduction in cooling-related emissions in India by 2030.  At COP29, U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) announced $1 million to support this new partnership.  In the face of intensifying extreme heat, the activity aims to reduce carbon emissions from cooling, decrease stress on electricity networks, and lower the cost of efficient cooling and alternative cooling solutions.
  • Mobilizing Investment for Early Retirement of Indonesia Coal-fired Power Plant – USAID is assisting a consortium in Indonesia, led by the country’s sovereign wealth fund, to establish an approximately $255 million equity investment in the first coal power, early phase-out transaction under the Indonesia Just Energy Transition Partnership.  USAID will support an agreement between Indonesia’s sovereign wealth fund and public infrastructure company, PT Sarana Multi Infrastruktur, and private investors to finalize the early retirement of the 660 MW Cirebon coal-fired power plant.
  • Accelerating clean energy deployment and decarbonization in the power and industrial sectors – through the Power Sector Program and Energy and Mineral Governance Program, the Department of State is committing $10.6 million to strengthen grid infrastructure to improve reliability and resiliency, deploy clean energy technologies to decarbonize the power and industrial sectors, expand cross border power trade, and create opportunities for private sector investment. The Energy and Mineral Governance Program is committing a further $5 million to expand technical support to enable emissions reductions in the oil and gas sector through methane abatement and decarbonization technologies, in support of the Global Methane Pledge.
  • Advancing the Agriculture Innovation Mission for Climate (AIM for Climate) – At COP29, AIM for Climate will announce $2.9 billion in new investments, innovation sprints, and partners.  Launched by President Biden at COP26, AIM for Climate is a 5-year initiative co-led by the United States and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).  In just 4 years, AIM for Climate partners have mobilized $29.2 billion in increased investment in climate-smart agriculture and food systems innovation, over a 2020 baseline, including over $4.3 billion by the United States.  On the margins of COP29, the United States and the UAE will host the 3rd AIM for Climate Ministerial, a strategic opportunity to highlight the institutional legacy of AIM for Climate, including the recent  AIM for Climate Report.

MOBILIZING FINANCE AT SCALE

From Day One, the Biden-Harris Administration has been committed to boosting international climate finance.  This includes scaling-up our own bilateral finance, fully leveraging multilateral financial institutions, and mobilizing private investment.  These efforts are also in direct support of the Partnership for Global Infrastructure and Investment.  As a result of these efforts over the last three years, the United States significantly scaled up our climate finance – from $1.5 billion in FY21 to over $9.5 billion in FY23, a more than sixfold increase.  These actions build on domestic efforts to catalyze investments in game-changing climate mitigation and climate resilience innovations.  At COP29, the Biden-Harris Administration is announcing new efforts to mobilize investment at the speed and scale the climate crisis requires, including:

  • Announcing a $1 billion guarantee for ADB’s Innovative Finance Facility for Climate in Asia and the Pacific (IF-CAP) – a $2.5 billion climate finance platform for Asia and the Pacific, making the United States the Facility’s largest donor.  The U.S. guarantee will enable $4.5 billion in new lending from ADB, which will start this month.
  • Supporting the Launch of the Climate Investment Funds (CIF) Capital Markets Mechanism – an innovative new mechanism that will allow the CIF to raise funds directly in the capital markets, where it estimates it could raise $5 billion or more over 10 years.
  • Achieving Record-Levels of Climate Investments through DFC and EXIM – with DFC reaching $3.71 billion in FY24 and mobilizing significant private investment to support over 1 GW of new clean energy capacity, improving U.S. partners’ energy security and access.  In line with its congressional mandate, EXIM has more than doubled its investments in clean energy and other environmentally beneficial exports – from $1.1 billion in FY23 to a record $1.6 billion in FY24.  These new investments, which represent over one-fourth of EXIM’s transactions this year, supported $1.7 billion in clean energy and other environmentally beneficial exports, EXIM’s highest-ever levels.
  • Pioneering Innovative Approaches to Mobilize Private Investment – working with Congress, USAID is investing $41.1 million to drive private finance into hard-to-reach geographies and sectors.  This includes a $7.25 million investment through the Enterprises for Development, Growth, and Empowerment (EDGE) Fund to incentivize private investment in impact funds and mobilize investment in natural climate solutions which includes $2.75 million in grants to enable two new investment fund managers under the PREPARE Adaptation Finance Window that aim to catalyze additional public partners to co-invest.  USAID will also commit $27.7 million for the Colombia Invest for Climate activity, which aims to transform markets and financial systems and direct public and private funds into climate-smart businesses.  Finally, USAID is committing $6.1 million to the Partnerships for Green Investment initiative announced at COP28 last year to mobilize at least $200 million to achieve 50 million tons of emissions reductions, climate resilience, biodiversity protection, and benefit sharing across Southeast Asia.    
  • Supporting the Development of the Cambodia Climate Financing Facility (CCFF) – USAID provided technical assistance to support the development of the CCFF, a $100 million green bank that will fill a critical funding gap for climate projects in Cambodia.  Once operationalized, the facility will provide concessions to local banks and businesses to stimulate investment in climate adaptation and mitigation projects, assisting Cambodia in meeting its Nationally Determined Contribution.
  • Investing in Clean Energy and Critical Minerals Value Chains in Africa – as part of collaboration with Denmark, Finland, Sweden, and Norway, the United States, working with Congress, will make an initial commitment of $10 million over two years into the Investment Mobilization Collaboration Alliance’s third funding window through Power Africa, supporting clean energy and critical mineral investments in Africa.  This investment will improve critical minerals value chains and increase access to and use of energy to advance industrialization.  In joining this impactful, innovative international partnership, Power Africa will leverage partner funds and support proposals to advance clean energy across the continent.

 
BOLSTERING GLOBAL CLIMATE RESILIENCE
 
The Administration is announcing new efforts to accelerate the implementation of the President’s Emergency Plan for Adaptation and Resilience (PREPARE), which aims to help more than half a billion people in developing countries adapt to and manage the impacts of climate change this decade.  Through these efforts, the United States has provided over $3 billion in adaptation finance in FY23, achieving President Biden’s pledge to work with Congress to increase U.S. international public adaptation finance to $3 billion by FY24 to help implement PREPARE one year early.  This includes the following additional efforts across PREPARE:
 

  • Scaling-Up DFC’s Adaptation Investments to Record-High Levels – DFC invested $1.3 billion in adaptation in FY24, including projects that will strengthen food and water security and sustainable practices to adapt to and increase resilience to the threat of climate change.  
  • The $458 million Zambia Farm-to-Market Compact – MCC’s $458 million Zambia Farm-to-Market Compact, signed in October 2024, aims to improve Zambia’s agriculture and agro-processing sectors. The compact will focus on rural road infrastructure, increasing access to finance for irrigation, electricity, storage and processing facilities, and supporting agricultural policy reform initiatives. The Improving Roads Activity will improve road conditions, quality, access, and climate resilience for selected segments within the identified agricultural corridors through the design, construction, expansion, rehabilitation, upgrades, and strengthening in key agricultural corridors It also focuses on integrated planning, climate-resilient road infrastructure, building a local green/climate finance market, and improving agricultural productivity through better management of soils, irrigation, and watersheds.
  • Expanding Access to Cutting-Edge Climate Information and Early Warnings through PREPARE – The United States has invested billions to develop world-leading weather and climate-related information and service capabilities – from launching leading-edge satellites, amassing relevant observational data from a global network of sensors, and developing advanced modelling technology.  The United States is using these capabilities to support vulnerable developing countries to better understand, anticipate, and prepare for climate impacts.  At COP29 the United States is announcing several new efforts, including working with Congress to announce a new the SERVIR Central America Hub that will launch in December and will bolster the resilience of over 50 million people to reduce vulnerability to climate impacts and environmental degradation. NOAA is announcing $4.7 million to bolster multi-hazard early warning capabilities in Pacific Islands, including through capacity building, data sharing, and expansion of sea-level rise monitoring stations to help with coastal inundation. The United States is also launching the Global Sea Level Explorer – a new earth.gov platform that will provide foundational information about global sea level and flooding to help inform decision-making, resource management, and emergency operations for each coastal country across the globe.
  • Climate Smart and Disaster Ready – as part of its Climate Smart and Disaster Ready initiative, USAID announced $11.8 million in new awards to strengthen localized climate adaptation for communities at the greatest risk of climate-related disasters in current and foreseeable humanitarian contexts, bringing the total investment under this initiative to date to $16.2 million.  Under this program, USAID has funded five multi-year initiatives in West Africa, Central America, Southeast Asia, South Asia, and the Pacific Islands, including the previously announced $4.4 million to support young people in the Pacific Islands to advance disaster risk reduction and climate adaptation efforts in their own communities.
  • Climate Finance for Agriculture in Africa – USAID will invest $9.3 million to accelerate climate finance for climate-resilient and low emissions development investments in agriculture and food systems across Africa, working with Congress.  In Zambia, USAID is supporting the country’s first climate-focused investment fund, aiming to mobilize $70 million for climate adaptation in critical sectors, including agriculture. In Ghana, USAID created a $2.6 million co-investment program to incentivize private sector investment in climate adaptation and mitigation in agriculture, complementing cooperation with the government on national carbon market development. Finally, through the Africa Trade and Investment activity, USAID is supporting a pan-Africa Fund to finance African microfinance institutions and agricultural entities, aiming to leverage an additional $5 million in commercial investments for climate-smart agriculture, with a total investment leverage ratio of 6:1. 
  • Expanding Technical Support for SIDS through the Local2030 Islands Network – the National Ocean and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the U.S. Department of State will invest nearly $500K to expand technical support to the Local2030 Islands Network for peer-to-peer learning, engagement and training to bolster the use of adaptive solutions and scientific data and planning.  This announcement builds on a prior investment of approximately $12 million into the Local2030 Islands Network, a global island-led network committed to net zero emissions and strengthening island resilience to climate change, with an emphasis on advancing the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.
  • $144 million in new partnership agreements in Mozambique – MCC’s $144 million in new partnership agreements in Mozambique with local non-governmental partners Biofund and ProAzul for MCC’s Coastal Livelihoods and Climate Resilience Project will leverage nature-based low carbon infrastructure to restore coastal ecosystems and their functions.
  • Bolstering the Resilience of Critical Infrastructure: Enhancing Grid Resilience in Africa – The U.S. Trade and Development Agency awarded a feasibility study grant to Côte d’Ivoire Energies to help develop a smart grid control system that will increase stability of the national grid and reduce potential blackouts in the face of extreme weather events or climate disruptions.  USTDA is also supporting a grid resilience and efficiency event series, which will connect officials from public and private entities in sub-Saharan Africa’s power sector to the latest U.S. technologies services, and equipment for improved electricity transmission and distribution systems.

 
 
ADVANCING WOMEN AND GIRLS’ LEADERSHIP IN CLIMATE ACTION

Recognizing that no economy can get ahead if half of its population is left behind, the Biden-Harris Administration is committed to preparing women for leadership roles in the industries of the future, including through efforts that advance the Women in the Sustainable Economy (WISE) Initiative—an over $2 billion public-private partnership that aims to close gender gaps in access to training, jobs, leadership roles, and finance in green and blue sectors.  At COP29, the Administration announced:
 

  • Advancing Women’s Leadership in the Clean Energy Economy – At COP29, USAID is announcing $10.8 million to champion women as decision-makers, stakeholders, educators, and experts in responding to the climate crisis.  USAID is investing in programs that support women’s equitable access to land; integrate gender-based violence prevention in fisheries conservation; and promote women’s participation and economic empowerment in green industries and clean energy sectors. 
  • Accelerating Women’s Leadership in Climate Action – One year after the release of the U.S. Strategy to Respond to the Effects of Climate Change on Women, the State Department is releasing a progress report outlining initiatives and programs worth $10.7 million to empower women and girls as climate leaders while addressing the disproportionate impacts they face from the climate crisis.  These initiatives include efforts to train and connect women leading the clean energy transition, building climate-smart agricultural systems, and promoting Indigenous management of natural resources.
  • Women In Agriculture Gain Economic Security (WAGES) – This program supports women in agricultural cooperatives across Tunisia to address the impacts of climate change, increase profitability, and improve food security.  The project focuses on optimizing natural resource use and enhancing the business operations of women-led cooperatives.  The $2.1 million project tackles women’s limited access to training and resources by forming partnerships with regional stakeholders and adapting approaches to address the needs of local women leaders. 
  • Supporting Women Environmental Defenders – The Department of State is expanding support for women environmental defenders through the EMPOWER and WE-Defend programs, enabling their safe and meaningful participation in environmental governance and policy making. The EMPOWER program, now totaling $1.7 million, supports defenders globally, while WE-Defend, with a total investment of $1.2 million, focuses on empowering Filipina environmental defenders in decision-making processes related to environmental policies.

Advancing Women in Clean Energy and Minerals (AWCEM) Program – The Department of State announced $1.25 million to increase women’s leadership in the clean energy and critical mineral mining sectors in Latin America, empowering women to become leaders and agents for change to support decarbonization and the clean energy transition.

Biden Administration, Climate Action, Climate Change, News & Photo Features

FACT SHEET: President Biden Commemorates Historic Climate Legacy during Climate Week NYC

NASA Administrator Bill Nelson addresses the 2024 Clinton Global Initiative, which prioritizes climate action, environmental protection and climate justice, about the crucial role that NASA plays in assessing climate change. The Biden-Harris Administration has made a whole-of-government commitment to addressing climate change and environmental justice. © Karen Rubin/news-photos-features.com

During Climate Week, President Biden delivered remarks highlighting his climate, conservation, clean energy, and environmental justice agenda, which is lowering costs, creating good-paying and union jobs, and reducing harmful emissions.
 
As the latest historic hurricane event pummels the Southeast, Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump, who routinely calls Climate Change a hoax, promises to “drill baby drill” and pulled the US out of the Paris Climate Agreement, and Republican governors in Florida, Texas, South Carolina deal with climate change by outlawing the term,  House Republicans continue reckless attempts to roll back climate, conservation, and clean energy investments – even proposing to shut down NOAA, which gives warnings of weather events.

This fact sheet reviewing President Biden’s historic climate legacy was provided by the White House:

When President Biden took office, he pledged to restore America’s climate leadership at home and abroad. Every day since, the Biden-Harris Administration has led and delivered on the most ambitious climate, conservation, clean energy, and environmental justice agenda in history, including securing the largest ever climate investment and unleashing a clean energy manufacturing boom that has attracted hundreds of billions of dollars in private sector investment; created hundreds of thousands of new clean energy jobs; and lowered energy costs for families while delivering cleaner air and water for communities across the country.
 
As business leaders, government officials, young people, and other advocates from around the world gather in New York City to participate in Climate Week, tomorrow President Biden delivered remarks in New York City highlighting his Administration’s unprecedented progress in tackling the climate crisis, cutting energy costs for everyday Americans, and creating good-paying union jobs.
 
Meanwhile, as President Biden and Vice President Harris continue to implement their Investing in America agenda, many Congressional Republicans continue to deny the impacts of climate change and are actively working to roll back this Administration’s historic and urgent climate investments – in fact, House Republicans have voted more than 50 times to repeal parts of President Biden’s climate investments. The contrast couldn’t be clearer.
 
From replacing toxic lead pipes and modernizing our electric grid to reducing air pollution and conserving our nation’s lands and waters, President Biden and Vice President Harris have positioned America to lead the global effort against climate change and protect the health, safety, and economic vitality of our communities and our environment for generations to come. 
 
Biden-Harris Administration’s Top Climate Accomplishments
 
Deploying Clean, Affordable Electricity and Strengthening America’s Power Grid
Through the Inflation Reduction Act and Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, President Biden has secured unprecedented investments in a clean power sector, unleashing a boom in American solar, wind, battery storage, nuclear, and other clean energy technologies that are creating good-paying jobs and saving families money on utility bills. President Biden’s Investing in America agenda is supporting the U.S. offshore wind industry, transmission buildout and other power grid upgrades, residential solar for low-income households, investments in clean electricity across rural America, efficient permitting to get new projects built, and American manufacturing of clean energy technologies. Since the start of the Biden-Harris Administration, the US has added more than 100 gigawatts of new clean energy – enough to power more than 25 million homes. Thanks to the Inflation Reduction Act, clean energy project developers get access to expanded tax incentives if they pay workers prevailing wages and employ registered apprentices,  build their projects with domestic content, or locate projects in historic energy communities—provisions that are helping make more clean energy jobs good-paying and union jobs, supporting American manufacturing, and driving clean energy investment to the places that can benefit the most.
 
Bolstering Climate Resilience and Adaptation
The Biden-Harris Administration is taking a whole-of-government approach to addressing climate impacts, including through Federal climate adaptation planning and integrating consideration of climate impacts into Federal policies, programs, and funding. The Administration released a National Climate Resilience Framework and President Biden secured more than $50 billion for climate resilience and adaptation investments that are upgrading aging roads and bridges, including critical evacuation routes; restoring critical waterways, forests, and urban greenspaces; building forest health and reducing wildfire risk; bolstering water infrastructure and drought resilience across the American West; reducing the risk to federal assets from future floods; and modernizing our electric grid. Through portals like Climate Mapping for Resilience and Adaptation (CMRA) and Heat.gov, the Administration is equipping communities with the information and resources they need to assess climate risks and implement adaptation actions in their communities. With historic investments from the President’s Investing in America agenda, the Administration stabilized the short-term security of the Colorado River and is making investments to ensure the long-term stability of the Colorado River Basin.
 
Accelerating a Clean Transportation Future
Last year, the Biden-Harris Administration released the National Blueprint for Transportation Decarbonization, a landmark strategy for eliminating nearly all greenhouse gas emissions from the U.S. transportation sector by 2050. The Administration’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and Inflation Reduction Act invest tens of billions to decarbonize maritime,  trucking, transit, rail, and aviation, all while making communities more walkable, bikeable, and connected. The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law is also investing $7.5 billion to build a nationwide network of convenient, reliable electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure along corridors and within communities, and $5 billion to put clean school buses on our roads. In addition, the President rallied automakers and autoworkers around a historic goal of having electric vehicles account for at least 50% of new passenger vehicles sold by 2030. To support this goal while driving down consumer costs, the Administration secured tax credits that reduce the cost of new or used clean vehicles by thousands of dollars directly at the dealership as well as tax credits to deploy EV charging and alternative fueling infrastructure to support clean vehicle deployment needs for individuals and businesses within rural and low income communities. The Administration is also leading by example to electrify the federal vehicle fleet, including 66,000 U.S. Postal Service delivery vehicles over five years.
 
Cutting Energy Costs and Pollution at Homes, Schools, and in Communities
Last year, 3.4 million American families saved $8.4 billion from IRA home energy tax credits for heat pumps, insulation, solar, and other clean energy technologies, and today states across the US are rolling out IRA rebates of up to $14,000 per household to help low- and middle-income families afford cost-saving electric appliances and energy efficiency improvements. The President established a $20 billion national clean energy financing network that will support tens of thousands of clean energy projects and cost-saving retrofits, reducing or avoiding up to 40 million metric tons of carbon pollution annually over the next seven years. The Biden-Harris Administration has also strengthened energy efficiency standards to save households and businesses money, with standards updated by DOE for dozens of appliances expected to provide nearly $1 trillion in consumer savings over 30 years, saving the average household more than $100 a year while also reducing greenhouse gas emissions by more than 2 billion metric tons. Schools across the country are using IRA clean energy tax credits and elective pay to install solar, energy storage, and ground source heat pumps.

Revitalizing American Manufacturing for the Clean Economy
President Biden’s Investing in America agenda has helped catalyze historic manufacturing growth, with factories opening across the nation. The private sector has committed over $910 billion in investments in American manufacturing and clean energy, including sectors central to our industrial strength. The President’s agenda is helping to make U.S. manufacturing the cleanest and most competitive in the world. The Inflation Reduction Act is investing more than $6 billion to slash climate pollution and support workers and community health at U.S. factories producing the steel, aluminum, cement, and other materials that form the backbone of our economy, nearly $2 billion to support shuttered or at-risk auto facilities retain or re-hire workers to support manufacturing in the electric vehicle supply chain, over $3 billion to bolster battery manufacturing, and over $4 billion through the Federal Buy Clean Initiative to bolster markets to buy cleaner materials. The Biden-Harris Administration’s historic steps to reduce super-polluting methane and hydrofluorocarbons are also harnessing American innovation and creating good-paying union jobs. 
 
Advancing Environmental Justice
Since Day One, the Biden-Harris Administration has prioritized a whole-of-government approach to environmental justice. The President signed a historic Executive Order that mobilizes the federal government to bring clean energy and healthy environments to all and mitigate harm to those who have suffered from pollution and environmental burdens like climate change. Through the Justice40 Initiative, over 500 programs across 19 federal agencies are being reimagined and transformed to maximize the benefits of President Biden’s unprecedented investments – from clean energy projects to floodwater protections to wastewater infrastructure – to communities that need them most. At the same time, the Administration is taking unprecedented action to protect communities from PFAS pollution, accelerate Superfund and brownfield cleanups, tighten standards for hazardous air pollutants, and enhance air quality enforcement. To ensure the voices, perspectives, and lived experiences of communities with environmental justice concerns are heard in the White House and reflected in federal priorities, policies, investments, and decision-making, President Biden also created the White House Environmental Justice Advisory Council.
 
Delivering Clean Water and Replacing Lead Pipes
President Biden and Vice President Harris are fighting to ensure a future where every American has access to clean, safe water. The President’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law invests over $50 billion in upgrading the nation’s water infrastructure – the largest investment in clean water in American history. The Administration has already launched over 1,700 projects to expand access to clean drinking water, replace lead pipes, improve wastewater and sanitation infrastructure, and remove PFAS pollution in water. The Biden-Harris Administration invested over $1 billion from the President’s Investing in America agenda to specifically accelerate the delivery of drinking water and community sanitation infrastructure projects in Indian Country, where almost 50% of communities are lacking this basic human right. President Biden has also made a commitment to replace every toxic lead pipe in the country within a decade, protecting families from lead poisoning that can irreversibly harm brain development in children.

Empowering Every Community to Advance Climate Solutions
The historic set of federal actions that the Biden-Harris Administration has taken are supporting communities across the country in seizing opportunities in the clean energy economy. The Administration has mobilized billions of dollars in investment in the energy communities and workers that have powered our nation for generations. To help young people access skills-based training for good-paying careers in the clean energy and climate resilience economy, the Administration launched the American Climate Corps, which will mobilize a new, diverse generation of more than 20,000 Americans. And with direct support from the Administration’s Investing in America Agenda, more than 45 states and more than 200 Tribes, territories, and metro areas have now developed their own Climate Action Plans. All of these foundational efforts will support climate solutions in the near-term and for years to come, helping the nation achieve the goal of reducing climate pollution by 50-52% below 2005 levels in 2030 and reaching a net-zero economy by no later than 2050.


Conserving our Lands and Waters
President Biden’s America the Beautiful initiative is supporting and accelerating voluntary, locally led conservation and restoration efforts across the country, and with 42 million acres already protected under President Biden, the U.S. is on track to meet the first-ever national goal to conserve at least 30 percent of our lands and waters by 2030. The Biden-Harris Administration has established or expanded eight national monuments and restored protections for three more; created five new national wildlife refuges and significantly expanded five more; established two new national marine sanctuaries and begun the process to designate or expand protections for five more; created one new national estuarine research reserve; protected the Boundary Waters of Minnesota, the nation’s most visited wilderness area; safeguarded Bristol Bay in southwest Alaska from the impacts of mining; protected the Arctic Ocean from oil and gas development; and withdrawn Chaco Canyon in New Mexico and Thompson Divide in Colorado from further oil and gas leasing which will protect pristine lands and thousands of sacred sites. The Administration also directed the conservation of old-growth and mature forests, put conservation on equal footing with development in managing our public lands, launched the America the Beautiful Freshwater Challenge to protect, restore, and reconnect 8 million acres of wetlands and 100,000 miles of our nation’s river and streams, protected vast areas of caribou habitat in the Western Arctic for future generations, and is advancing the Chumash Heritage National Marine Sanctuary off the coast of California.
 
Rallying Leaders of the World’s Largest Economies to Raise Global Climate Ambition
President Biden has restored America’s climate leadership at home and abroad. Under his leadership, the Administration is securing commitments from more than 155 countries to reduce methane emissions by at least 30 percent by 2030; successfully galvanizing other countries at COP28 to commit, for the first time, to transition away from unabated fossil fuels, stop building new unabated coal capacity globally, and triple renewable energy globally by 2030 and nuclear energy by 2050; launching a new Clean Energy Supply Chain Collaborative to work with international partners to diversify supply chains that are critical to a clean and secure energy transition; mobilizing other governments to follow the U.S. lead and commit to achieve net-zero government emissions by 2050 through a new Net-Zero Government Initiative; and becoming a world leader in innovative debt-for-nature swaps that have helped countries restructure over $2 billion in debt and unlock hundreds of millions of new financing for nature and climate.
 
Accelerating Federal Permitting to Deliver Clean Energy and Infrastructure More Quickly
The Biden-Harris Administration has taken action to accelerate clean energy infrastructure and deliver other critical projects by securing and directing long overdue resources to improve and accelerate permitting and environmental reviews. The Administration also finalized the Bipartisan Permitting Reform Implementation Rule to address climate change, protect public health, encourage better environmental outcomes, and promote meaningful public input on Federal decisions and projects.
 
House Republicans Continue Attempting to Roll Back Climate Protections
As President Biden and Vice President Harris implement the most ambitious and impactful climate and conservation agenda in history, House Republicans are taking action right now that would roll back investments in climate, clean energy, and public health. House Republicans’ efforts to gut climate protections through a variety of avenues – including appropriations bills, Congressional Review Act resolutions, and other legislative actions – would raise consumer energy costs, undermine public health protections, worsen the impacts of extreme weather events, and destroy environmental safeguards for our lands and waters.
 
Ongoing attempts by Congressional Republicans to roll back climate and environmental protections would:
 
Raise Consumer Energy Costs, including by:

  • Attempting to eliminate funding for the development of U.S. manufacturing capabilities in vehicles, trains and locomotives, maritime vessels including offshore wind support vessels, and aircraft.

 
Gut Public Health Protections, including by:

  • Trying to overturn Biden-Harris Administration rules that protect communities from coal plants’ water pollution, air pollution, and waste disposal.
  • Trying to overturn a Biden-Harris Administration rule that will reduce by 96% the number of people with elevated cancer risk near certain chemical plants, by reducing emissions of toxic chloroprene and ethylene oxide from those facilities.
  • Rolling back the Clean School Bus program that will reduce climate pollution and provide cleaner air for our nation’s children.
  • Undermining clean air progress by trying to overturn rules that reduce pollution from power plants, cars and trucks , and industrial sources.
  • Taking steps to block new Biden-Harris Administration rules to protect coal and other miners from toxic silica dust.

Destroy Protections for Our Lands and Waters, including by:

  • Trying to eliminate Presidential authority to establish national monuments altogether.
  • Working to dismantle President Biden’s America the Beautiful Initiative.
  • Threatening to expose cherished landscapes to new drilling, including 13 million acres of special areas in the Western Arctic.
  • Planning to reduce accountability for oil and gas companies.
Climate Action, Climate Change, Environment, Environmental Protection, News & Photo Features

FACT SHEET: During Climate Week, Biden-Harris Administration Announces Continued Progress on the American Climate Corps, Creates New Environmental Justice Climate Corps

American Climate Corps Has Already Put 15,000 Young Americans to Work as Part of Its Inaugural Cohort
 
Environmental Protection Agency and AmeriCorps Announce a New Environmental Justice Climate Corps; the Department of Housing and Urban Development Joins the Interagency American Climate Corps Initiative

Glen Canyon, Utah, is suffering climate-caused drought. Since taking office, President Biden has delivered on the most ambitious climate, clean energy, conservation, and environmental justice agenda in history – signing into law the largest investment in climate action ever, protecting more than 42 million acres of public lands and waters, creating good-paying clean energy jobs, and establishing the Justice40 Initiative, which sets the goal that 40 percent of the overall benefits from certain federal investments flow to disadvantaged communities that are marginalized by underinvestment and overburdened by pollution. © Karen Rubin/news-photos-features.com

During Climate Week, the Biden-Harris administration announced progress on its American Climate Corps. This fact sheet was provided by the White House:

Since taking office, President Biden has delivered on the most ambitious climate, clean energy, conservation, and environmental justice agenda in history – signing into law the largest investment in climate action ever, protecting more than 42 million acres of public lands and waters, creating good-paying clean energy jobs, and establishing the Justice40 Initiative, which sets the goal that 40 percent of the overall benefits from certain federal investments flow to disadvantaged communities that are marginalized by underinvestment and overburdened by pollution.
 
As part of his historic commitment to tackle the climate crisis, President Biden launched the American Climate Corps (ACC) to mobilize the next generation of clean energy, conservation, and climate resilience workers, with a goal to put 20,000 young people to work in the clean energy and climate resilience economy in the initiative’s first year. Today, in celebration of Climate Week, the White House is announcing that more than 15,000 young Americans have been put to work in high-quality, good-paying clean energy and climate resilience workforce training and service opportunities through the American Climate Corps – putting the program on track to reach President Biden’s goal of 20,000 members in the program’s first year ahead of schedule.
 
Across the country, American Climate Corps members are working on projects to tackle the climate crisis, including restoring coastal ecosystems, strengthening urban and rural agriculture, investing in clean energy and energy efficiency, improving disaster and wildfire preparedness, and more. The American Climate Corps is giving a diverse new generation of young people the tools to fight the impacts of climate change today and the skills to join the clean energy and climate-resilience workforce of tomorrow.
 
The Biden-Harris Administration is making several additional announcements: 

  • The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and AmeriCorps are Announcing a New Environmental Justice Climate Corps, which will put more than 250 American Climate Corps members to work over the next three years providing technical assistance to community-based organizations in environmental justice communities – helping them access resources to carry out locally driven projects that reduce pollution, increase community climate resilience, improve public health and safety, and build community capacity to address environmental and climate justice challenges. Environmental Justice Climate Corps members will be paid a living allowance and reimbursed for selected living expenses. In total, this allowance is equivalent to receiving more than $25 per hour throughout their year of service. They will also obtain the benefits of AmeriCorps VISTA service—including the Segal AmeriCorps Education Award, which is valued at $7,395 in FY24, and streamlined pathways into certain federal jobs—and gain mentorship and professional development opportunities. Applications for the Environmental Justice Climate Corps will open in early 2025, with a goal for its first cohort to start later that year. The partnership with EPA is AmeriCorps’ largest environmental partnership in the agency’s history and will build on the success of three other partnerships announced under the American Climate Corps: AmeriCorps NCCC Forest Corps, Working Lands Climate Corps and Energy Communities AmeriCorps, which together will support more than 500 new ACC positions over the coming years.
  • The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) is Joining the ACC Interagency Initiative. Joining the seven initial signatories of the December 2023 ACC Memorandum of Understanding, today HUD will become the eighth federal agency member of the ACC Interagency Initiative. This step brings the ACC to the communities HUD serves, building upon the Department’s commitment to using low- and zero-carbon energy and supporting communities to increase their resilience, advance environmental justice, and create good jobs for residents.
  • The American Climate Corps is Fostering Federal-State Partnerships by establishing a partnership with state service commissions, which support national service in states across the country, to grow the number of state climate corps and strengthen existing state climate corps programs. Together, the American Climate Corps, state-level climate corps programs, and state national service leadership are committed to strengthening state climate corps, supporting impactful program implementation, and leveraging state and local partnerships to scale climate corps efforts across the country. To date, 14 states have launched their own state-based climate corps programs, including New Jersey who just today announced the creation of the New Jersey Climate Corps. 
  • American Climate Corps Will Host a Virtual Job Fair. The American Climate Corps is working to ensure that its members have a pathway to good-paying jobs following their terms of service, which is why later this year, ACC will host a virtual job fair for current and past members to learn about high-quality career opportunities in the clean energy and climate resilience economy. The virtual job fair will bring together the private sector, labor unions, and the public sector, including Federal agencies, to showcase career pathways available to ACC members.

 
Today’s announcements build on a year of successful program implementation, including:
 

  • Launch of the American Climate Corps Tour. This fall, to showcase ACC members’ important work across the nation, the American Climate Corps and senior Biden-Harris Administration officials is embarking on a national tour and visiting ten locations to highlight ACC members’ impact in communities across the country. The tour is making stops at a range of ACC project sites and featuring remarks by representatives of the Biden-Harris Administration and other Federal, state, and local elected officials. Visits include ACC member swearing-in ceremonies, service projects, and roundtables with ACC members.

Creation of the American Climate Corps Storytellers Project. Inspired by the Works Progress Administration’s Federal Art Project, the ACC launched the Storytellers Project, engaging artists and storytellers to capture the impact of President Biden’s American Climate Corps. The ACC Storytellers Project solicited applications from artists across the country. Ten accomplished storytellers were selected to document the impact of the American Climate Corps in communities across the country through photographs, videos, and other visual art mediums.

Biden Administration, Climate Action, Climate Change, Environment, Environmental Protection

FACT SHEET: Biden-Harris Administration Announces New Investments to Protect Freshwater Resources, Enhance Drought and Climate Resilience

During Climate Week, the Biden-Harris administration announced new funding and whole-of-government initiatives that build upon its ambitious freshwater agenda and help restore and conserve our freshwater resources and address climate impacts felt across the nation © Karen Rubin/news-photos-features.com

During Climate Week, which coincides with the United Nations General Assembly meeting in New York, where climate has become a major issue in recent years, the Biden-Harris Administration announced a number of new initiatives including new investments to protect freshwater resources and enhance drought and climate resilience. This fact sheet is provided by the White House:

Our nation’s lakes, rivers, streams, estuaries, and wetlands are fundamental to the health, prosperity, and resilience of our communities and are held sacred by many Tribal Nations. They are not only the sources of clean drinking water that flows into the taps of our homes, but are also economic drivers supporting jobs and outdoor recreation across the nation. By absorbing and storing carbon, our nation’s waterways and wetlands – and the forests, grasslands, and farmlands they nourish – also play a critical role in the fight against climate change.
 
Since Day One, the Biden-Harris Administration has worked to secure clean water for all communities, protect our vital freshwater resources, and mitigate the impacts of drought. Given that communities often acutely experience the climate crisis through water-related impacts – from floods and droughts to polluted drinking sources and waterways – this Administration is making historic investments through President Biden’s Investing in America agenda to protect, conserve, and restore our freshwater basins and ecosystems.
 
Meanwhile, many Republicans in Congress continue to deny the very existence of climate change and remain committed to repealing the President’s Inflation Reduction Act – the biggest climate protection bill ever – which would undermine the health, safety, and economic vitality of their own constituents.
 
During Climate Week, the Biden-Harris administration is announcing new funding and whole-of-government initiatives that build upon its ambitious freshwater agenda and help restore and conserve our freshwater resources and address climate impacts felt across the nation:
 

  • Investing in Long-Term Colorado River Basin Resilience: The Biden-Harris Administration is leading a comprehensive effort to make Western communities more resilient to climate change and address the ongoing megadrought across the region, including the Colorado River Basin, by harnessing the full resources of President Biden’s historic Investing in America agenda. The Administration’s investments in the Lower Colorado River Basin bridge the immediate need for water conservation while moving toward improved system efficiency and more durable long-term solutions. Overall, the funding for long-term water conservation initiatives in the Lower Basin is expected to save more than 1 million acre-feet of water, putting the Basin on a path to a more resilient and sustainable water future.
    • The Department of the Interior’s Bureau of Reclamation is announcing the execution of the first three contracts for long-term water conservation under the Lower Colorado Basin System Conservation and Efficiency Program. Totaling approximately $107 million, taken together these first three projects – all with the Gila River Indian Community in the Lower Colorado River Basin of Arizona – will provide over 73,000 acre-feet of water conservation to support the sustainability of Lake Mead while also helping ensure long-term water resilience for the Community. The Bureau of Reclamation is also working on the companion program for the Upper Basin, which will provide additional water savings for the Basin’s long-term sustainability.
    • The Bureau of Reclamation is working with the following sponsors in the Lower Colorado Basin to negotiate water conservation contracts for ten additional proposed projects, including:
      • City of Phoenix
      • City of Tucson
      • Coachella Valley Water District
      • Salt River Valley Water Users’ Association & Salt River Project Agricultural Improvement and Power District
      • San Diego County Water Authority
      • Southern Nevada Water Authority
      • The Metropolitan Water District of Southern California
      • Town of Gilbert
    • The Department of the Interior’s Bureau of Reclamation is also signing agreements with the Imperial Irrigation District and the Bard Water District in partnership with the Metropolitan Water District in California to ensure the conservation of up to 717,100 acre-feet of water by 2026. This water will remain in Lake Mead in an effort to benefit the Colorado River System and its users.
       
  • Investing in Indian Country: The Department of the Interior’s Bureau of Reclamation has announced historic Tribal water infrastructure investments totaling over $1.2 billion through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, Inflation Reduction Act, Reclamation Water Settlement funding, and annual appropriations. This includes a new investment of $9.4 million for Tribal drought relief and technical assistance projects that will restore wetlands, improve irrigation efficiency, and support groundwater monitoring.
     
  • Reconnecting Waterways and Restoring Aquatic Ecosystems: With over $3 billion in funding for ecosystem restoration and fish passage projects, the Investing in America agenda is helping secure cleaner rivers, safer communities, greater recreational opportunities, and improved fish and wildlife habitat, driving change across the landscape for people, communities, species, and ecosystems.
    • The Administration is announcing a suite of 10 transformational fish passage projects that to date have received over $150 million from eight Federal agencies. When completed, these fish passage and aquatic connectivity projects – located in communities from Maine to Ohio to California – will reconnect nearly 5,000 miles of rivers and streams across the United States. Reconnecting waterways allows natural functions to be restored in freshwater systems, improving their climate resilience and water quality, and therefore their ability to protect communities from catastrophic floods, droughts, catastrophic wildfire, and water pollution. Improving fish passage and reconnecting aquatic systems is one of the most effective ways to help conserve vulnerable species, while building safer infrastructure for communities and improving climate resilience. To date, the Administration has spent over $970 million on more than 600 fish passage projects in 45 states across the country.
    • The Department of the Interior today is announcing an additional $92 million in new resources from the Bureau of Reclamation’s WaterSMART Aquatic Ecosystem Restoration Program to help restore important salmon and other native fish habitat across the West. These projects, when complete, will provide increased water quality, floodplain stability, and drought resiliency.
       
  • Collaborating with Stakeholders to Protect Freshwater Systems: At a Climate Week NYC event focused on the Global Freshwater Challenge, White House Council on Environmental Quality Chair Brenda Mallory announced a doubling of new partners in the America the Beautiful Freshwater Challenge – a nationwide initiative to protect, restore, and reconnect 8 million acres of wetlands and 100,000 miles of our nation’s rivers and streams by 2030. Over 100 members from across the country initially signed on to support freshwater restoration in their communities. That number has now more than doubled to over 211, including 14 states, 16 Tribal entities, 27 local governments, and 79 private sector members.
     

These announcements build on recent actions that deliver on the Biden-Harris Administration’s commitment to ensuring safe drinking water, including providing approximately $1 billion in funding to bring safe, clean water to Tribal communities; finalizing the first-ever standard to protect communities from toxic “forever chemicals,” along with rulemakings to hold polluters responsible for PFAS cleanup and to enhance safeguards against dangerous chemical spills in our nation’s waters; and continuing to deliver on President Biden’s goal to replace every lead pipe in America in the next decade. The Department of the Interior has invested more than $6.95 billion to fund over 831 Western water projects through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and the Inflation Reduction Act; the Environmental Protection Agency has leveraged more than $9 billion in the last two years alone to communities across the West; and other agencies from the Department of Agriculture to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers continue to make investments that increase water availability, reduce water use, and enhance resilience.