By Lisa Friedman
Aides in the Biden administration are swiftly moving to distribute hundreds of millions of dollars in grants and complete environmental regulations with the aim of securing President Joe Biden’s climate agenda ahead of Donald Trump’s return to the White House, according to John Podesta, the president’s chief adviser on clean energy.
Podesta, who is also Biden’s leading climate envoy, left on Sunday to participate in United Nations climate discussions in Baku, Azerbaijan. He expressed intentions to reassure global partners that the transition to clean energy is inevitable and that U.S. emissions are set to decline even under a president who disputes climate science.
”Undoubtedly, having a leader in the federal government who views climate change as a hoax hinders the acceleration of progress,” Podesta remarked. Nevertheless, due to previous investments, U.S. emissions continue to trend downward, and the private sector remains committed to renewable energy, he noted.
“This is far from the conclusion of our battle for a cleaner, safer planet,” he stated. “The struggle transcends any single election or political term.”
Trump has expressed a desire to dismantle nearly all of Biden’s climate initiatives, which comprise regulations aimed at reducing carbon emissions from power generation, vehicles, and oil extraction. He seeks to simplify drilling processes on federal lands and in marine areas where Biden has imposed restrictions. Additionally, he has called for the nullification of Biden’s landmark climate legislation, the Inflation Reduction Act.
The 2022 law allocates at least $390 billion over the next decade in tax incentives, grants, and subsidies related to wind and solar energy, electric vehicle battery production, and other clean energy initiatives. Approximately 80% of the funds utilized in the initial two years have benefited Republican congressional districts, presenting a political challenge for any repeal efforts even if Republicans secure complete control of Congress.
“This will test the durability of the IRA,” said Thomas J. Pyle, president of the American Energy Alliance, a conservative energy research organization. “I perceive the president’s initial stance as ‘We want to eliminate it completely.’ However, reality dictates that numerous stakeholders will endeavor to maintain certain components of it. Those aspects with broader bipartisan support are more likely to endure.”
Sen. Edward J. Markey, D-Mass., essentially challenged Republicans to repeal the law. “Should Republican lawmakers choose to follow Donald Trump into this dangerous territory and eliminate 343,000 jobs throughout the nation, they would effectively be signing their own political demise,” he stated in an interview.
“A strategy that involves canceling electric vehicle plants in Georgia and battery manufacturing facilities in South Carolina is fundamentally flawed,” Markey asserted. “The dilemma for Trump is that the green revolution encompasses both blue and red states.”
Environmental organizations reported they are collaborating on strategies to safeguard the agencies responsible for air, water, climate, and public land protections.
“While I won’t downplay the challenges we’re currently facing, I firmly believe the environmental movement was designed for this moment, and we are committed to utilizing every resource at our disposal to protect the environment and advocate for civil rights and democracy,” stated Manish Bapna, president of the Natural Resources Defense Council, an environmental advocacy group.
During Trump’s first term, the Natural Resources Defense Council initiated 163 lawsuits against his administration as he aimed to overturn over 100 environmental regulations, winning nearly 90% of the cases that reached resolution.
“Our history of success during the previous Trump administration instills confidence that with careful selection of our defensive strategies, approach to legal actions, and choice of jurisdictions, we can effectively halt or diminish these rollbacks,” Bapna commented.
Ben Jealous, executive director of the Sierra Club, declared that his organization plans to launch a “massive” public records initiative to expose the plans and documents from the Trump administration. He noted that environmental groups would closely monitor Trump’s appointments and would strive to oppose anyone they believe would undermine the mission of federal agencies.
Meanwhile, Podesta provided an initial outline of the administration’s approach for the upcoming two months.
“We have an extensive list of tasks,” Podesta noted. He mentioned that the administration disbursed $98 billion in climate and clean energy grants during the fiscal year concluding in September, which accounted for 88% of the available funding for that year. He indicated that the remainder would be allocated before Biden leaves office.
Additionally, the EPA plans to utilize the entire $5 billion allocated by Congress for a Climate Pollution Reduction Grant program, benefiting states, tribes, and local governments that present plans to decrease emissions. To date, 45 states have submitted applications, although Florida, Kentucky, Iowa, South Dakota, and Wyoming opted out of participation.
“There are still more funds to be distributed, and we aim to allocate as much of that as possible, complicating efforts for the next administration to reverse actions taken,” Podesta stated.
The U.S. Treasury has released guidance for 21 of the 24 tax provisions within the climate legislation. By year-end, it is expected to finalize the remaining rules specifying who qualifies for tax credits related to hydrogen production and for any facility generating energy without greenhouse gas emissions, such as wind, solar, nuclear, hydropower, or alternative sources.
Several environmental regulations are set to be finalized, Podesta reported. Recently, the Interior Department announced two: a mandated plan for leases in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, to be limited to the smallest parcels allowed by law; and a strategy to protect the greater sage grouse by restricting drilling, mining, and livestock grazing across approximately 65 million acres of its habitat in ten Western states. The EPA is also anticipated to impose limits on pollution from gas-powered plants.
It is expected that Trump would overturn these regulations and policies. If Republicans regain control of Congress, they will also have the authority to nullify regulations within 60 legislative days of their finalization.
Biden has set an objective of reducing U.S. emissions by about 50% compared to 2005 levels by the close of the decade. Major economies must accomplish this to avert significantly worse outcomes from global warming, as scientists have indicated.
Trump aims to abandon this initiative, envisioning economic growth driven by increased oil and gas extraction — which is already at unprecedented levels in the U.S. — coupled with tariffs and tax reductions.
