Welcome to Wednesday’s Overnight Environment & Energy,The latest news and information on energy, environment and beyond. Subscribe here thehill.com/newsletter-signup.
Today, we are looking at increased scrutiny of the Postal Service’s vehicle purchases and President Biden’s meeting avec utility executives. We also see a push by vulnerable Democrats to repeal the gas tax.
Rachel Frazin, Zack Budryk and I are The Hill’s editors. Send us your tips: [email protected] [email protected]. Follow us on Twitter: @RachelFrazin @BudrykZack.
Let’s get started.
Democrats push USPS for more EVs
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), climate hawk Democrats in Congress are urging Postmaster General Louis DeJoy not to rescind his decision to purchase thousands of U.S.-powered gasoline-powered vehicles. Postal Service vehicles are being threatened by President Biden, who can’t replace him at will.
Biden issued last year an executive order directing the federal government towards net-zero greenhouse gas emission by 2050. This ambitious goal would necessitate cooperation from the Postal Service which has the largest civilian vehicle fleet of any nation.
However, Oshkosh was awarded the vehicle contract in February 2021 by the Postal Service. This contract was for a predominantly gasoline-powered fleet. DeJoy has only committed that 10 percent of the 165,000 new electric vehicles will be electric.
So what do the Democrats have to say about it? The EPA, the White House Council on Environmental Quality, and 17 Democratic senators and representatives called on DeJoy (a long-time donor to President Trump) to amend the Postal Service procurement plan in order to increase the number of electric vehicles. Tom Carper (D.Del.) is the Chairman of Senate Environment and Public Works Committee.He also sent his letter to the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee Chairman Tom Carper (D-Del.
The EPA noted the vehicles included in the contract would get 8.6 mpg. This is a small improvement over their predecessors’ 8.2 mpg.
Democrats, already dissatisfied with DeJoy’s decision, slammed the decision.
Representative Gerry Connolly (D. Virginia), who chairs House Oversight and Reform subcommittee overseeing the Postal Service, said that the purchase of the vehicles was “another reason why DeJoy wasn’t the right choice in the summer 2020 and he’s not the right choice now to lead it into the future.”
Sen. Ed Markey (D.Mass.) stated that Louis DeJoy “is not delivering on the potential to have a healthier, more affordable, and more climate-friendly fleet mail trucks,” and that he is subverting our government-wide goals.The Hill was informed by Louis DeJoy (D-Mass. ), who was the leader of the letter. “This is unacceptable, it’s short-sighted, our nation’s postal carriers and customers deserve better.”
USPS’s defense: According to the Postal Service, fully electrifying the fleet would add $300 billion.
“While we understand why some might prefer that we purchase more electric vehicles than the Postal Service, the law requires that we be self-sufficient,” said the Postal Service in a statement.
It stated that it is willing to electrify faster if a solution is found that isn’t financially harmful to the Postal Service.
You can read more about the situation by clicking here.
GASSED UP
Democratic senators Democratic Senators.
Kelly and Hassan, who are both facing reelection in swing state in November, introduced legislation Wednesday that would eliminate the 18-cents-per gallon fuel tax until 2023.
Sens. Sens. Raphael Warnock (D.Ga.) & Catherine Cortez Masto(D-Nev.), both of whom will face tough reelection battles this year, along with Sens. Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.), and Jacky Rose (D-Nev.).
What is it all about? It reflects Americans’ pain at the pump, and that Democrats see this issue as a crucial issue in the upcoming midterm elections.
Kelly said in a statement, “This bill will lower gasoline prices by suspending a federal gas tax through December to help Arizona families struggling to afford everything from gas to groceries.”
The House is expected to be retaken by the Republicans, but it is not clear which party will control next year’s Senate.
Find out more about their proposal..
FOSSIL FUEL PR IN CROSSHAIRS
Ral Grijalva (D-Ariz.), and Katie Porter (D-Calif.), sent Wednesday a letter to six public relations firms asking for information on their work with energy companies as well as whether they have aided them in campaigns to obscure links between fossil fuels, climate change, and other factors.
The members specifically mentioned a video taken last summer by an undercover Greenpeace activist. It shows Exxon lobbyist Keith McCoy telling the videographer that the company is “.[fought]”Against some of the science” and used shadow groups to conceal the link.
The letters ask for information from the companies in question about campaigns that they have been awarded to oil, coal, or natural gas companies and trade organizations no later than February 23.
Learn more about their letter by clicking here
Biden meets utilities in BBB push
On Wednesday, President Biden met with CEOs of utility companies to promote his stagnant climate and social spending bill.
He said at the beginning of the meeting, “I believe this is the beginning – God willing- of a new age in the generation of electric power.”
According to the White House officials, the meeting would include executives from power providers like DTE Energy, Duke Energy, and Exelon as well as the president for the trade group Edison Electric Institute.
Additionally, members of the Biden Administration, including Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm and National Economic Advisor Brian Deese, as well as National Climate Advisor Gina McCarthy, were expected to attend.
What were they talking about? Biden asked Patricia Vincent Collawn from PNM Resources, the CEO of New Mexico’s power provider, how the spending bill would aid the state in delivering reliable and affordable power.
Executive said that the bill would allow the utility be carbon-free earlier, help it securitize, and achieve a “just transformation” by helping to train coal miners.
Biden argued that the legislation will increase affordability, reliability, and job creation while combatting climate change.
He stated that “it’s about reducing family energy costs while protecting the grid from extreme storms and making power more reliable and reliable, and it’s also all about jobs.”
“It will make us more competitive economically, while reducing pollution and improving the public health, and helping us meet climate change’s moment.”
Tom Kuhn (CEO of EEI) released a statement describing the meeting. He said that the company met the administration officials to discuss their strong support for legislation to address climate change. The package would include a robust clean-energy tax package that will provide significant long-term benefits to electricity customers.
Kuhn stated that it would continue to support tax credits for existing nuclear facilities, tax credits for hydrogen energy, and energy storage and transmission tax credits.
You can read more about the meeting here.
FRANKLIN FORMER INTERIOR BOSS BERNHARDT WILL SPEAK AT ANTI-30X30 SOMEMMIT
David Bernhardt, former Interior Secretary, will join Lauren Boebert (R.Colo.) at an April EventOpposition to the Biden administration’s “30×30” conservation goals.
The “Stop 30×30” Summit will take place in Lincoln (Neb.) on April 22nd. American Stewards of Liberty, a Texas-based nonprofit which has promoted anti-30×30 resolutions in many parts of the western U.S., organized it.
The group has received funds from many people and families who are known for supporting conservative causes.Charles Koch and the DeVos families are also included. Trent Loos from Nebraska, a radio host who was involved in the anti-30×30 campaign of the group, was photographed with Ammon Bindy, the militia leader responsible for the 2016 occupation by the Malheur Wildlife Refuge in Oregon.
ON TAP TOMORROW
The Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee will host a Hear on clean hydrogen energy
WHAT WE ARE READING
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Alec, the rightwing lobby group driving laws to blacklist businesses that boycott oil industry (The Guardian)
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Florida will set goals to achieve 100% renewable energy by 2050 But will it really happen? (The Miami Herald)
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Senator is criticized for blocking the vote to establish an NPS site at internment camp (E&E News)
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EU wants a pandemic treaty that would ban wildlife markets and reward the detection of viruses (Reuters)
ICYMI
West Virginia Nuclear power plants are now allowed to continue as normal
‘Double hazards’ map Points to a hidden geography at wildfire risk
More Democratic lawmakers criticize USPS planGas-powered trucks available for purchase
Finally, something a little offbeat and unorthodox: Party crasher.
This is it for today. Thanks for reading. Visit The Hill’s website. Energy & Environment PageFor the most recent news and coverage. We will see you Thursday.