Biden Has a New Climate Road Map. Here's What's Missing

July 09, 2020

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by Adam Aton (E&E News) Climate investment goals, green job targets and key decarbonization deadlines were missing from an environmental platform published yesterday by a joint team of Joe Biden backers and Sen. Bernie Sanders supporters.

The gaps point to potential sources of liberal conflict next year if Democrats retake control of the federal government. Even so, most greens and activists hailed the policy recommendations as an improvement over Biden's current plans for global warming.

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The task force also suggested several narrower goals, such as five-year deadlines for transitioning all school buses to zero-emissions vehicles and retrofitting 2 million homes for energy efficiency.

But the task force members — six supporters of Biden and three supporters of Sanders — could not agree on deadlines for ending emissions from big U.S. sources, like transportation or manufacturing.

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One Biden surrogate, Rep. Conor Lamb (D-Pa.), was added to the task force after its initial formation, according to campaign statements — making it the only group with nine members.

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Lamb has a more dovish reputation toward fossil fuels than the other Biden-appointed members, such as Gina McCarthy, the former EPA administrator who now heads the Natural Resources Defense Council, or Florida Rep. Kathy Castor, the chairwoman of the House Select Committee on the Climate Crisis, which last week issued its own climate policy framework with more detailed targets (Greenwire, June 30).

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For instance, the first transportation bullet point urges Biden to "immediately convene California, due to its unique authority, and other states with labor, auto industry, and environmental leaders to inform ambitious actions that will enable the United States to lead the way in building a clean, 21st century vehicle fleet and stronger domestic manufacturing base powered by high-wage, union jobs."

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The task force also brought new ideas to Biden's campaign, including an equity screen on federal spending and permitting decisions, a White House Office of Climate Mobilization that reports directly to the president, and a "cash for clunkers"-type program to incentivize zero-emissions vehicles. READ MORE

Biden Climate Task Force Releases Its Climate Policy Recommendations (Our Daily Planet)

Biden vows to create 5M manufacturing jobs, 'Buy American' (Politico)

COMING SOON: BIDEN'S CLEAN ENERGY PLAN: (Politico's Morning Energy)

Joe Biden set to release aggressive $2tn climate plan: Proposal outlines $2tn for clean energy infrastructure and climate solutions, to be spent as quickly as possible in next four years (The Guardian)

Joe Biden Plots Energy Path With Eye on Left Flank, Swing-State Jobs (Bloomberg)

Steyer: For a Biden Administration, ‘the Time for Subsidizing Fossil Fuels Is Long Passed’ (Morning Consult)

'My eyes opened': Duckworth's environmental justice journey (E&E News)

Biden Releases $2T Climate Plan Focused on Green Jobs and Environmental Justice (Our Daily Planet)

Biden unveils $2 trillion climate plan (CBS News)

THE BIDEN PLAN TO BUILD A MODERN, SUSTAINABLE INFRASTRUCTURE AND AN EQUITABLE CLEAN ENERGY FUTURE (JoeBiden.com)

Biofuel groups weigh in on Biden’s clean energy plan (Ethanol Producer Magazine)

DTN Ag Policy Blog: Biden Climate Plan Does Not Mention Biofuels, But Ethanol Groups See Potential (DTN Progressive Farmer)

Biden’s Climate Support Could Spawn More Cases Against Big Oil (Bloomberg Law)

Oil donors flock to Trump as Biden hardens climate stance (Houston Chronicle)

The Congressional Action Plan for a Clean Energy Economy and a Healthy, Resilient, and Just America Majority Staff Report: Is It Worth Supporting? (Advanced Biofuels USA)

RFA PRESIDENT WANTS MORE DETAILS ABOUT BIDEN ENERGY, CLIMATE PLANS (Brownfield Ag News)

ETHANOL GROUPS PLEASED WITH SENATE DEMOCRATS’ CLIMATE PLAN (Brownfield Ag News)

Democratic Donors Push Biden for a Cabinet Free of Fossil Fuel Connections -- A group of more than 60 donors is urging Joe Biden to renounce advisers with ties to the fossil fuel industry. (New York Times)

Excerpt from Brownfield Ag News: The President of the Renewable Fuels Association says he is optimistic about the possible role of renewable fuels in Democratic campaign proposals. Geoff Cooper commented on Presidential candidate Joe Biden’s plan during a call with reporters Thursday. He says, “Obviously, he’s got a focus and a priority on policies that reduce greenhouse gas emissions from the transportation sector, and we believe renewable fuels like ethanol can and should play a significant role in those sorts of policies.”

Cooper would like to see more specifics from the candidate. “We would have liked to seen more discussion or conversation of renewable fuels in the plan that the Biden campaign released a few weeks ago, but, you know, we think that gives us just another opportunity to sit down with the Biden campaign and discuss the impact that renewable fuels can and should have.” READ MORE

Excerpt from Politico's Morning Energy: Biden released a separate plan Thursday to rebuild the U.S. economy. That plan includes a $300 billion research and development investment "to sharpen America's competitive edge in new industries where global leadership is up for grabs, like battery technology, artificial intelligence, biotechnology, and clean energy," he said.

It also calls for a $400 billion procurement investment to support clean vehicles and the expansion of clean energy generation capacity. "Other countries should be buying the next generation of battery technology and electric vehicles manufactured by American workers," the plan states. Biden also promised to apply a carbon adjustment fee against countries that are failing to meet their Paris agreement commitments. READ MORE

Excerpt from Bloomberg: He will also call for the creation of a climate conservation corps and adopt Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer’s target of rapidly turning over the nation’s automobile fleet by enticing taxpayers with cash vouchers to trade in their gas-powered cars for plug-in electric, hybrid or hydrogen fuel cell cars.

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He doesn’t support a ban on fracking, and has indicated he sees a future role for fossil fuels like coal and natural gas. Still, he has called for banning new oil and gas projects on public lands and waters and for putting a price on carbon dioxide emissions.

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He also proposed adding $300 billion over four years on innovation, including for clean energy and automobile research and development. Those plans alone would create an estimated 5 million new jobs, the Biden campaign said.

The campaign said last week that it was delaying announcing any new taxes to pay for his proposals until it sees the state of the economy in January and whether more stimulus spending is necessary. READ MORE

Excerpt from Ethanol Producer Magazine: Various components of Biden’s overall presidential agenda target the low-cost production of renewable hydrogen, which can be manufactured from biogas; the development of new, sustainable fuels for use in aviation; and the use of agriculture-based advanced biofuels.

In a previously released plan for rural America, Biden specifically addressed the promotion of ethanol and next-generation biofuels, noting he believes renewable fuels are vital to the future of rural America—and the climate, and stressing that investing in next generation biofuels would be a top priority for his administration.

Several representatives of the biofuels industry have spoken out on Biden’s clean energy goals and are stressing the role biobased fuels can play in meeting emissions reduction goals.

Growth Energy has spoken out in appreciation of Biden’s recognition of the importance of renewable fuels to rural America. “We appreciate the Biden campaign’s recognition that ‘renewable fuels are vital to the future of rural America – and the climate,’ and that agriculture is a ‘key part of the solution to climate change,’” said Emily Skor, CEO of Growth Energy. “Biofuels can help us reduce emissions today, and will play an important role in decarbonizing the transportation, industrial and agricultural sectors going forward. Growth Energy will continue to be a willing partner for any policymaker looking to meet ambitious clean energy policy goals. We are grateful to Vice President Biden for joining us at one of our member plants this past year and taking the time to understand the important role of biofuels both in terms of our climate goals and our rural economies.”

The American Coalition for Ethanol is urging the Biden and others seeking elected office to consider using a framework for a Midwest clean fuels policy as a blueprint for how to reduce emissions. “Earlier this year ACE joined with many other stakeholders to publish a blueprint for how to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and spur economic growth in a way that makes sense for rural America,” said Brian Jennings, CEO of ACE. “While this blueprint was intended to help governors and state legislators properly craft new clean fuel policies and create valuable carbon markets for farmers and biofuel producers, we are encouraged by the fact that the House Select Committee on Climate Crisis took a page from our report through their recommendation that Congress adopt a technology-neutral Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS) which would reward farmers and biofuel producers for using climate-smart practices. As presidential candidates and others seeking elected office rollout their ideas to address climate change, we urge them to consider our plan as an economically meaningful solution to reduce GHGs.”

The Advanced Biofuels Association called on Biden to acknowledge the role liquid fuels pay in several sectors, including marine and aviation transportation. “Vice President Biden’s climate plan places a heavy emphasis on the transportation sector, yet fails to offer any solutions for the parts of the transportation economy where carbon emissions reductions will be the hardest—namely, the heavy-duty, aviation, marine vessel, and heating oil sectors,” said Michael McAdams, president of the ABFA. “The forward-thinking climate plan recently released by House Democrats acknowledges the important role liquid transportation fuels will continue to play in these areas, so it is disappointing to see the Biden campaign miss the mark. The Advanced Biofuels Association looks forward to an ongoing dialogue with the campaign about the critical role that advanced biofuels can play in reducing emissions from the transportation sector as a whole, while aligning with VP Biden’s goals of encouraging American innovation and industry.” READ MORE

Excerpt from DTN Progressive Farmer: The plan released Tuesday delves into agriculture and conservation, but does not specifically mention biofuels such as ethanol as part of the renewable energy proposals.

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Biden's plan would pump investment in technology for the energy sector to achieve a 100% clean-energy standard by 2035. It would also rebuild road infrastructure, which includes adding as many as 500,000 electric-vehicle charging stations along the nation's interstates.

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While the Biden plan mentions "clean energy," it does not specify details on liquid fuels. Still, Growth Energy CEO Emily Skor said Biden's campaign recognizes that "renewable fuels are vital to the future of rural America -- and the climate," Skor said, adding Biden's plan also considers agriculture as a "key part of the solution on climate change."

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Geoff Cooper, president and CEO of the Renewable Fuels Association, said Biden's plan on Tuesday "takes a big picture approach and paints with broad strokes." Cooper added that the finer points of Biden's policies are still being developed. "Increasing the use of renewable fuels like ethanol would help achieve many of Biden's clean energy objectives, and we believe there is plenty of room within the plan for increased production and use of renewable fuels," Cooper said.

Cooper added Biden has acknowledged that the economy will continue to rely primarily on liquid fuels for the foreseeable future and Biden has already said ethanol is "part of the answer." Cooper added Biden also has called EPA small refinery exemptions a "gigantic mistake," and Biden has pledged to ensure oil companies meet their renewable fuel blending obligations.

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Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, a strong backer of biofuels but in a tight race, called on her opponent, asking rhetorically if Democrat Theresa Greenfield "will denounce Joe Biden's plan that would decimate our ethanol industry and hurt Iowa farmers?" READ MORE

Excerpt from New York Times:

The targets include former Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz, former Interior Secretary Ken Salazar and others who served in the Obama administration.

Last week more than 60 deep-pocketed donors asked Mr. Biden to commit to a moratorium on all new coal, oil and natural gas development — and to select advisers who are “free from fossil fuel influence.”

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The group ... implored Mr. Biden to “choose new, bolder leadership” than those with whom he worked under President Barack Obama.

“This incumbency of old ideas (like ‘all of the above’ energy policy) must end,” the donors wrote.

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“The worry for those of us who want to see bolder action is that Biden isn’t going to be willing to move further,” said Jamie Henn, director of Fossil Free Media, a group that this month distributed a letter from 145 environmental organizations calling on Mr. Biden to bar fossil fuel executives, lobbyists and representatives from his campaign and administration.

The list of those targeted includes Mr. Moniz, who in 2018 joined the board of Southern Company, an electric utility that sued the Obama administration over its Clean Power Plan climate change regulations. Another target: Mr. Salazar, Mr. Obama’s first interior secretary, who is now a partner at the law firm WilmerHale and in 2019 opposed a planned overhaul of oil and gas regulations in Colorado. In July, the campaign named Mr. Salazar a co-chairman of its Latino leadership committee.

Lesser-known aides to Mr. Obama who have come into the groups’ cross hairs include Heather Zichal, an architect of the Clean Power Plan who served on the board of Cheniere Energy, a liquefied natural gas company, and Jason Bordoff, a former senior director on the National Security Council who founded the Center on Global Energy Policy at Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs. The university, like many academic institutions, accepts funding from energy companies.

“We can’t have people who are beholden to the fossil fuel industry in any way shape or form,” said Barbara Beseda Grasseschi, a Democratic fund-raiser in Sonoma County, Calif., who along with her husband, Tony Crabb, signed the Democratic donors’ letter.

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At the heart of the debate is averting the worst consequences of climate change and what role natural gas should continue to play.

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The Obama administration argued that natural gas, which produces about half the carbon emissions as coal but also emits methane, another greenhouse gas, is a necessary “bridge” to clean power. Its growth is a large reason U.S. emissions have declined over the past decade.

Yet many energy experts agree that the United States no longer needs to build new natural gas plants to meet energy demands. READ MORE