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Good morning and happy Friday,
President Biden’s decision to drop out of the presidential race has re-energized the Democratic campaign, as supporters rallied around Kamala Harris, smashing fundraising records and raking in more than $100 million between Sunday afternoon and Monday evening.
His announcement prompted allies to reflect on his legacy in multiple areas, including energy and climate, where he’s “proud to have delivered.” E&E News selected five numbers that define Biden’s energy legacy, but our favorite remains the nearly $125 billion in project funding (and 100,000+ jobs that will create) companies have announced since passage of the IRA.
Here's hoping all those projects (and many, many more) get built ASAP – a new analysis from Rhodium finds that the U.S. is making progress on its climate goals – but still falling short, and Copernicus Climate Change Service announced that on Monday July 22, the daily global average temperature reached a new record high of 17.15°C, the hottest day in their dataset, which begins in 1940.
Read on for more.
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Radical Reset
It’s been a whirlwind of a week in presidential politics, and Kamala Harris has secured enough delegate endorsements to win her party’s nomination. Clean power advocates are generally comfortable with the Vice President’s positions on energy and climate, which could be even more progressive than President Biden’s. Here are a few talking points:
Importantly, as a senator Ms. Harris staked out bold positions as an original co-sponsor of the Green New Deal and in casting the tie-breaking vote that led to passage of the IRA. While it’s an open question as to whether that legislation will help get her elected, former EPA director Gina McCarthy says the VP will “kick ass against Trump.”
Of course, there’s also been plenty of speculation about Harris’ potential running mate. The top contenders all get at least some positive marks on energy and/or the environment, although most have had to walk a “fine line” on key topics in their current positions.
- One important arrow in Harris’ quiver is her “go-to guy on climate.” Ike Irby served as her top climate adviser from 2021 to early 2024, having started on her Senate staff back in 2017. “A scientist by training,” he’s also “an expert policy adviser and tactician.”
⚡️ The Takeaway
The KHive’s abuzz. ICYMI, Kamala Harris’ “longtime online fandom” is known as the KHive, and this week it’s been breaking the internet. The campaign quickly changed its website header to mimic the “neon
lime” used for Charli XCX’s most recent album after the singer endorsed Ms. Harris, tweeting that “kamala IS brat,” a reference to the album’s title. Will a lime-green meme energize young voters and translate into a victory for green energy?
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Energy Smorgasbord
Senator Joe Manchin, chair of the Energy and Natural Resources committee, will retire at the end of this Congress, but he’s hoping a “last-ditch” attempt at passing permitting reform will succeed. The Energy Permitting Reform Act contains a little something for almost everyone and has received mostly – although not exclusively – positive reviews. Here’s the playbill:
For developers, perhaps the most important thing to know about the legislation is that it has received wide backing from clean energy and transmission groups, including the American Clean Power Association, the Solar Energy Industries Association, the American Council on Renewable Energy, Advanced Energy United and Americans for a Clean Energy Grid.
The main reason clean energy trade groups support the bill is that it promises to significantly speed up the permitting process, particularly on public lands, and address transmission issues by providing “siting authority for interstate lines, compulsory interregional planning, and clarity on cost allocation.”
- Environmental groups are less enthusiastic: the Sierra club says the bill offers handouts to the fossil fuel industry, the Center for Biological Diversity called it Frankenstein legislation, and Earthjustice says it “greenlights a massive fossil fuel buildout in the name of compromise.”
⚡️ The Takeaway
Lame duck sprint? Given that the presidential election will suck up all the oxygen for the next 100 days or so, while Sen. Manchin may seek to move the bill out of his committee soon, its “best shot of seeing the floor” won’t come until after November 5. Meanwhile, alternative proposals may emerge from the Environment and Public Works committee. President Biden, Vice President Harris, and congressional Democratic leaders have yet to weigh in on the legislation.
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Green Wall
Amidst the flurry of election reporting, the term “blue wall” is often bandied about. Well, if Norwegian company Wind Catching Systems (WCS) has their way, green (energy) walls may soon become a thing, too.
WCS’s Windcatcher is a “floating wall of wind” designed for use in offshore environments. DNV, the leading international classification organization, recently certified the Windcatcher as technically feasible, which means the proto design can proceed to the next phase of development.
According to WCS, the modular nature of the Windcatcher “allows for easy expansion or contraction,” thereby enhancing its adaptability. In addition, the technology “maximizes the electricity production per floating unit, maximizing acreage utilization” and offers the potential to reduce the levelized cost of energy for floating wind.
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As we wait to see if the Windcatcher, er, catches on, New York-based designer and Airvia co-founder Joe Doucet is working on designing wind fences that can be incorporated into urban landscapes. Although not (yet) sized for residential homes, the company says the technology is suitable for hotels, corporate buildings, and residential units. Things are
definitely looking up for walls of wind!
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