We have an energy bill with some climate flourishes, folks! Hopefully passed and signed into law soon. What's in the stimulus bill?
- Energy Policy Act
- Energy for the Environment Title

Text here: rules.house.gov/bill/116/hr-13…

Now, I'll break down key provisions in this THREAD...🧵
Big top lines:
- HFC phaseout 85% by 2035
- 35 billion on energy RD&D
- Energy tax extenders
- Reforms + extensions for DOE programs
- Electricity bill assistance for renters
- Permitting improvements for renewables on fed lands
- Efficiency, including fed buildings

MUCH MORE...
The HFC phaseout was difficult to negotiate and is probably the biggest climate piece.

HFCs are potent GHGs. In the global the Kigali amendment, countries have agreed to phase them out. This US commitment will help the globe avert 0.5 °C of warming.
nytimes.com/2017/11/17/cli…
Energy tax credit extenders:
- ITC: 2 years (2022)
- PTC: 1 year (2021)
- Offshore wind ITC: 5 years (2025)
- EV tax credit: DOES NOT EXIST

Short extensions. And the lack of EV tax credit is very bad. But: overall glad to see some ITC/PTC extensions!
eenews.net/stories/106372…
The bill includes $35.2 spending for energy:
- $4.1 bn: renewables
- $1.7 bn: reauthorization WAP + add renewables
- $2.6 bn: DOE sustainable transport
- $6.2 bn: CCUS
- $1.1 bn: energy storage
- $2.4 bn: smart grid
- $6.6 bn: advanced nuclear
- $4.7 bn: fusion
- $2.9 bn: ARPA-E
Many people are struggling to pay their energy bills during the pandemic.

The broader package includes $25 bn for rental assistance, which can be used for electricity bills. Low income home owners can also use the existing LIHEAP funds.

More needed.
utilitydive.com/news/customers…
With @DebHaalandNM poised to lead DOI, we could see some important growth of renewables on public lands and offshore.

Bill improves the process for permitting solar, wind, and geothermal projects on federal lands. And extends offshore wind ITC 5 years.
washingtonpost.com/climate-enviro…
The federal government itself is an important driver of clean energy adoption and innovation.

One key change? The bill requires that if there's a cost effective efficiency upgrade for a federal building, it must be done.

Read more on that here.
ase.org/blog/federal-b…
In addition to the egregious lack of EV support, the bill also doesn't focus enough on environmental justice.

That's particularly unfortunate because there were a number of EJ bills in Congress this year. We'll have to hope for progress in 2021.
ourdailyplanet.com/story/ej-bills…
Overall, I am very happy these provisions passed. There do not add up to enough on climate. But they are certainly better than nothing!

Credit goes to: @lisamurkowski @Sen_JoeManchin @SenSchumer @SpeakerPelosi @ChuckGrassley @RonWyden @CoryBooker @SenWhitehouse + MANY OTHERS!
Great to see some bipartisan energy + climate bills moving. This Energy Act package includes provisions from 69 Senators: 36 Dems and 33 Reps.

Next year, @lisamurkowski will no longer be Chairman of the Senate Energy committee. I'm glad she sealed the deal while she could! /FIN

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More from @leahstokes

21 Dec
"The Energy Act of 2020" was in the stimulus bill, which just became a law. There's lots in there:
- HFC phase out by 85% by 2035
- Extensions of ITC/PTC tax credits for offshore wind, solar, wind, etc.
- $35 bn for energy R&D
- Much more

Proper thread tomorrow...
Evidently Trump signed the continuing resolution after midnight, not the bill. So... We've got another day to wait! But this is fingers crossed happening.
I'm hearing bill text will come out in a few hours. So stay tuned for some more key highlights in a thread once it does!
Read 4 tweets
4 Nov
Let's start a silver-linings-on-climate thread...

1) Oil and gas companies are going bankrupt at a record pace.
reuters.com/article/us-usa…
2) Fox News is out there talking about how voters are very worried about climate change.
3) In Ohio, Columbus voted to be powered by 100% clean energy by 2023!
dispatch.com/story/news/pol…
Read 13 tweets
4 Nov
The funny thing about being a political scientist is that most of your friends are also political scientists and they are all about 4 hours ahead of everyone else in terms of reading the results and freaking out and...

YEAH THIS IS REALLY BAD.
My view is that we pretty much have to win PA to win. That is my view. It assumes:
- we lose OH
- we win AZ
- we lose both second districts
- we win MI and WI

If we win one of the second districts, we can lose PA... But I ain't banking on one of those.
So I guess how you should feel is based on your expectation of Biden winning Pennsylvania...
Read 4 tweets
24 Sep
Carbon pricing has dominated climate policy debates for decades. But the solution is ineffective and politically toxic.

We need standards, investments and justice to meet this crisis at its scale.

My latest in @BostonReview with @mmildenberger. 🧵...
bostonreview.net/science-nature…
Here are some facts about carbon prices, in the wild:
- they cover 22% of our global emissions, but most are riddled with loopholes
- most prices are way too low to drive meaningful change
- even high prices don’t always change behavior (see: Norway) Image
Carbon pricing should ideally do two things:
1) innovate new technologies
2) reduce emissions

Alas, the evidence suggests it's accomplishing neither goal in practice. Image
Read 13 tweets
14 Sep
Today @JoeBiden gave an historic speech about the climate crisis on our doorstep and the terrible fires raging across the West Coast.

This is climate leadership. A 🧵 with excerpts from his speech.
pscp.tv/w/1RDGlrqRbgExL
"Over the past two years, the total damage from wildfires has reached nearly $50 Billion in California alone.

This year alone, nearly 5 million acres have burned across 10 states — more acres than the entire state of Connecticut." - @JoeBiden
"Think of the view from the ground, in the smoldering ashes.

Loved ones lost, along with the photos and keepsakes. Spouses and kids praying each night that their firefighting husband, wife, father, and mother will come home. Entire communities destroyed." -@JoeBiden
Read 10 tweets
7 Sep
Los Angeles, Santa Barbara and everywhere in between have set heat records.

Fires are engulfing the state from North the South.

Maybe it's time the media started using the term "climate change." Here's me making that point TWO YEARS AGO.
latimes.com/opinion/op-ed/…
Are you a journalist looking to link heat waves to climate change? @EmilyLyWilliams, @ClimateSignals and I made this handy dandy fact sheet for you.

You've got not excuse for writing articles about heat waves WITHOUT MENTIONING CLIMATE CHANGE.
enventlab.com/climatefactshe… Image
Now what about wildfires? Want to write about that? I hear that generates lots of clicks.

JOURNALISTS: IF YOU WANT TO WRITE ABOUT WILDFIRES YOU NEED TO WRITE ABOUT CLIMATE CHANGE.

Here's your fact sheet.
enventlab.com/climatefactshe… Image
Read 6 tweets

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