Offshore Wind California’s Post

On Election Day, Washington voters decided to uphold the Climate Commitment Act, which will accelerate carbon reductions and the state’s energy transition. This was an important decision for the planet that will also advance Washington’s clean energy economy. For some of the emitters in the state, carbon capture and sequestration will be a key mitigation strategy. With the law affirmed, we look forward to working with partners in Spokane and throughout Washington on the critical work of decarbonizing the infrastructure assets across the Evergreen State. We also encourage the state to set up a robust mineralization and sequestration program that will make use of its unique geology to safely mineralize or store CO2. Read about how voters in Washington and six other states voted in favor of climate action in the 2024 election. https://lnkd.in/e7Ja5AAE

If we get the implementation of the Inflation Reduction Act (and the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act) right we can demonstrate they work and feed a virtuous cycle of climate legislation. But the clock is ticking, as I noted to Erin Douglas of the @Boston Globe.

At Newsweek, I discuss why we are better off because of climate leadership by President Biden and Vice President Harris. President Joe Biden has done more than any president in history to address the #climatecrisis and support the growth of safe renewable energy: From renewed participation in world climate talks and commitments, to the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law's investments in EV infrastructure, cleanups of dirty oil and gas wells, and R&D, to the #IRA's historic, largest-ever investment in the fight against the climate crisis, to the Climate Corps, to the protection of more public land and the crackdown on methane emissions - and much, much more. And Trump has made it crystal clear that he will do his utmost to undo all the climate and environmental progress we've made. We cannot afford to go back. #climate #PresidentBiden #InflationReductionAct https://lnkd.in/g5UEhpvH

BIDEN's IRA keeps pumping funds into clean energy and emissions reduction projects. #SOLAR #WWS #BESS #netZEROemissions New Federal Grants Could Slash U.S. Climate Emissions by Nearly 1 Billion Metric Tons Through 2050 Recipients in 30 states will share from a pot of $4.3 billion to tackle clean energy and emissions reduction projects. The Biden administration on Monday announced that it’s awarding $4.3 billion in federal grants to projects in 30 states aimed at boosting clean energy development and other efforts to reduce the nation’s greenhouse gas emissions.  The grants are among the largest cash subsidies under the Inflation Reduction Act, the 2022 law that dedicated nearly $400 billion toward climate action and the clean energy transition. The timing of the grants ensures that this part of President Joe Biden’s environmental legacy will remain intact even if Democrats fail to retain control of the White House or Senate after November’s election. The grants will fund 25 projects, including efforts to electrify farming equipment in Minnesota, expand public transit in Texas and deploy new electric vehicle charging stations along the Interstate-95 corridor in New Jersey, Connecticut, Delaware and Maryland. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) plans to announce another $300 million in climate-related grants for Tribes and territories later this summer. The EPA estimates that the projects will reduce the nation’s climate pollution by nearly 1 billion metric tons through 2050. That’s roughly the same as slashing 25 years’ worth of greenhouse gas emissions from 5 million homes, the agency said in its press release... https://lnkd.in/gERcZ6uk

Last Friday was a huge day of climate progress in Washington state. Two major laws passed the Senate and are on the path to soon become law. HB 1589 requires the state’s largest gas utility (Puget Sound Energy) to plan for the clean energy transition and create electrification programs to transition customers off of its gas system. SB 6058 is the first of many steps in linking Washington’s landmark Climate Commitment Act (cap-and-invest) program with the California-Québec program, setting a strong standard for the entire country (and world) to pursue ambitious climate policies and prioritize benefits in historically overburdened communities. Let's keep going here in Washington in turning the vision of reducing carbon pollution, creating great jobs, and addressing environmental justice that are at the center of all of the laws that have passed and the investments made into concrete progress on the ground that improves the lives of people and communities across the entire state.

"On Thursday, Vermont became the first state in the country to pass a law that will charge fossil fuel companies for damages caused by climate change, opening a new front in the struggle by governments across the world to hold companies accountable for products that emit planet-warming gases." This state edict could go down as a paradigm-shifting public policy that would effectively force businesses to actually account for the negative economic externalities* that their operations generate. And perhaps what's not fully appreciated is that the State of Vermont is effectively creating a local market advantage for triple bottom line** companies (e.g., B Corps**) to capitalize on, especially those operating in the renewables sector.

❗ BREAKING ❗ The Massachusetts Legislature just passed two major pieces of climate legislation: an expansive omnibus climate bill and climatetech investments in the Economic Development Bill! After a disappointing end to the legislative session in July, the House and Senate heard our call for climate action, found common ground, and moved us closer to reach our climate goals. The omnibus climate bill will expedite our Commonwealth’s clean energy transition through: • Building a responsibly-sited grid • Deploying renewable energy • Expanding electric vehicle charging access • Improving community engagement and; • Increasing energy storage supply “This legislation unlocks enormous potential to rapidly and responsibly build the modern, reliable electric grid we need to meet our climate goals. We cannot meet our emissions reduction targets with a slow, unresponsive, and inequitable energy siting system. The omnibus climate bill provides our state, communities, and developers with tools to deploy new renewable resources, shift buildings and transportation to clean power, and plan for a net-zero future” – ELM’s Legislative Director, David Melly. The legislature also took major strides to integrate climate priorities into the state’s economic development strategy. The 2024 Economic Development Bill, also known as Office of Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey’s Mass Leads Act, includes transformative climatetech provisions over a ten-year period. This crucial funding will expand our workforce, drive Massachusetts’ competitive growth, and catalyze the development of green technology. ELM thanks the legislature for their continued commitment to climate action. With federal climate action unlikely in the coming years, the country and the world are looking to Massachusetts and other states for climate leadership. Together, we will ensure our Commonwealth continues to rise to this challenge. Read our full statement: https://lnkd.in/eJbWsTex - - - #MAClimateBill #MAPoli #ClimateBill #CleanEnergy #ClimateAction #ClimateTech

🇺🇸 Wondering what a change in policy might mean for the United States climate goals? The IRA, which passed under President Biden, is the largest piece of climate legislation ever. According to Jonathan Foley, “The Inflation Reduction Act is starting to do some good work,” The law may not be enough to correct the country’s climate course by itself. “Overall, however, it is likely to be helpful. Reversing it would really hurt some recent progress on scaling renewables, EVs, [and] heat pumps.” https://bit.ly/4c70OfF #climatepolicy #inflationreductionact #climatevote #climateaction #projectdrawdown

Response to: The Omnibus Climate Bill will accelerate our Commonwealth's clean energy transition through:  • Build a responsibly placed grid • Deployment of renewable energy • Expanding access to EV charging • Improve community engagement and; • Increased energy storage supply  Inspired by nature, WindTree is a complementary electricity production system, based on a small vertical-axis wind turbine called the Aeroleaf. This innovation captures all types of wind in urban or natural environments, both turbulent and laminar, strong or light.

We did it! The MA Legislature passed ELM’s top two priorities on Thursday, a triumphant return of our Commonwealth’s resolve to address the climate crisis and embrace the clean energy sector’s potential for economic development and innovation. This is a victory not just for our team and for our partners (who put in countless hours over 22 months to see these bills across the finish line), but a tremendous win for everyone who will benefit from a cleaner environment, fairer system, and innovative climate technology. After the Legislature failed to act by July 31, these two climate packages drifted in limbo for much of the fall. But now, they’re headed to Office of Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey’s desk for signature. I want to share highlights of what will soon become law - and why it's crucial for our fight against the climate crisis. First is the “Climate Omnibus,” https://lnkd.in/eEWxQBgh. This roughly 140 page bill:  • Reforms clean energy siting and permitting for speed and equity   • Authorizes a first-of-its-kind state procurement for energy storage resources  • Increases access to reliable electric vehicle charging  • Expands offshore wind tax incentives and improves the procurement process  • Moves utilities away from natural gas and toward electric alternatives So many components are important. Still, I am particularly pleased to see the thoughtful and significant reforms to energy siting and permitting. By streamlining processes and front-loading effective community engagement, we can accelerate the modernization of our electric grid, no longer falling victim to a slow and unresponsive system. Second is the Economic Development Bill, https://lnkd.in/eaEy4npg, which makes historic investments to grow, attract and retain the climate tech sector, as well as build a world-class workforce to run it. Modeled after the initiative that launched MA's dominance in life sciences, this bill funds our first 10-year strategy for climate tech and has been a key priority for both ELM and Governor Healey.   I firmly believe MA can – and must – be the best place in the nation to seed and scale the policies and technologies the world needs for a brighter future. ELM recognizes that, while we celebrate today, our work does not end here. In the months ahead, we will collaborate closely with the Admin to ensure the effective implementation of these bills, plus advance many other Legislative and Regulatory priorities to move MA forward. Increasingly, we are using LinkedIn as our primary means of communicating, so please consider following Environmental League of Massachusetts (ELM) for thoughtful and timely intel. Many in my network had a role in these wins and in supporting ELM. Thank you for helping to make this progress possible.   https://lnkd.in/ek-9iqCi