WHAT’S HAPPENING TODAY: Good afternoon and happy Monday, readers! We hope you all had a good weekend. 

In today’s edition of Daily on Energy, Callie and Maydeen look at what we could expect from the incoming Trump administration’s energy agenda with reports suggesting President-elect Donald Trump’s transition team has begun drafting a package of energy policy reforms. 

We also cover the White House’s claims that President Joe Biden’s green agenda, which supports renewables and semiconductor factories, has led to around $1 trillion of private sector investments in clean energy and manufacturing.

Meanwhile, negotiators over the weekend at the United Nations Climate Conference in Baku struck a deal on climate finance. Countries agreed that wealthier nations would pay $300 billion per year by 2035 to help underdeveloped nations combat climate change. Still, many nations expressed disappointment with the deal – read below to see what they said. 

Welcome to Daily on Energy, written by Washington Examiner energy and environment writers Callie Patteson (@CalliePatteson) and Maydeen Merino (@MaydeenMerino). Email cpatteson@washingtonexaminer dot com or mmerino@washingtonexaminer dot com for tips, suggestions, calendar items, and anything else. If a friend sent this to you and you’d like to sign up, click here. If signing up doesn’t work, shoot us an email, and we’ll add you to our list.

TRUMP TEAM HAS BEGUN DRAFTING DAY ONE ENERGY PACKAGE: President-elect Donald Trump’s transition team has reportedly begun drafting the Republican’s Day One energy agenda, which is expected to roll back a number of Biden administration climate rules and emphasize support for the oil and gas industry. 

What to expect: Two sources familiar with the plans confirmed to Reuters that Trump will be keeping promises made throughout his campaign as early as his first day in office come January. Trump will look to end the Biden administration’s pause on new LNG export approvals. He is also expected to approve the controversial Keystone Pipeline, despite no calls to restart construction on the halted project. Additionally, Trump will seek to make good on his vow to walk back numerous climate rules and subsidies implemented by the previous administration, including electric vehicle tax credits and pollution standards for power plants. 

Sources told the outlet that Trump is also expected to ask Congress for funds that would go toward boosting the Strategic Petroleum Reserve, as well as to put pressure on the International Energy Agency to be less focused on renewable energy. As many of these orders would likely take time to implement, Trump may also reportedly declare an energy emergency to bypass congressional or regulatory hurdles. 

Key quote: “The American people can bank on President Trump using his executive power on day one to deliver on the promises he made to them on the campaign trail,” Trump’s transition team spokesperson Karoline Leavitt told Reuters in a statement. 

BIDEN CLAIMS $1 TRILLION IN INVESTMENTS: The White House is claiming President Joe Biden’s green agenda backing renewables and semiconductor factories has led to around $1 trillion of private sector investments.

The details: A White House memo touts the economic milestone, saying the progress made by the administration through the Democrat-passed Inflation Reduction Act, the CHIPS and Science Act, the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, and other laws are only a “fraction of the full impact of this agenda.” 

“The level of private sector investment seen under this administration is unprecedented. Business leaders have called the boom in private investment ‘nothing short of extraordinary,’ and have said the United States’ economy is ‘among the best performing economies’ in decades,” White House deputy chief of staff Natalie Quillian writes in the memo.

With the fate of numerous Biden climate rules, subsidies, and laws up in the air with the incoming Trump administration, the memo points to the economic and social benefits of keeping these measures in place. Specifically, Quillian insists that a similar pace of green investments could ensure clean water, air, faster internet and smoother commutes for everyday Americans. 

In a statement, the president also touted the private sector investments saying his agenda is helping America become “a leader in clean energy and semiconductor technologies that will protect our economic and national security, while expanding opportunities in red states and blue states.”

Some background: While Trump has vowed massive rollbacks of large parts of the Biden administration’s green push, many Republicans have expressed interest in seeing various measures untouched. In September, House Speaker Mike Johnson said the party would use a “scalpel and not a sledgehammer” when gutting parts of the IRA. Similarly, last week, Republican climate hawk Senator-elect John Curtis said a “surgical approach” would be used. 

DISASTER AID DESIRES DOWN PARTY LINES: Congress is rushing to approve a disaster aid bill before the end of the year to replenish the Disaster Relief Fund, but party politics continue to threaten passage. 

Dwindling funds: As of last week, the Federal Emergency Management Agency said the fund, which is used for response and recovery efforts for communities hit by major disasters, was only at around $5 billion. While this may seem like a lot, the fund had been at around $11 billion in October, according to The Hill. If the fund reaches $0, it will not prevent FEMA and other agencies from helping impacted communities. However, the government would reportedly no longer be able to invest in long-term projects, such as rebuilding infrastructure in regions like the southeast that were left devastated following Hurricanes Debbie, Helene, and Milton this fall. 

The details: Last week, the White House urged Congress to pass a nearly $100 billion package with around $40 billion directly going toward the Disaster Relief Fund. Though, with nearly $60 billion more going towards a number of other departments and agencies, the package hasn’t entirely been welcomed with open arms from Republicans. 

“I think that, as always, that can probably be pared down a bit, quite a bit,” Florida Republican Rep. Mario Díaz-Balart told The Hill. “I think it can be clearly reformed and potentially pared down rather substantially.” 

Republican West Virginia Sen. Shelly Moore Capito agreed, saying the package needs to be “scrubbed,” pointing to additional funds for the Department of Education. “I think some of it will fall out,” Capito told the outlet. Some GOP lawmakers are also reportedly seeking to add provisions, such as tax relief, to the package. 

Pressed for time: As discussions continue over any potential additions or reductions to the disaster package, both parties have indicated support for getting it passed sooner than later. With Republicans to control the Senate, House and White House, chances of a bipartisan deal are expected to grow slim in the new Congress.  

NEGOTIATORS AT COP29 REACH CLIMATE FINANCE DEAL WITH WEALTHY NATIONS PAYING $300 BILLION PER YEAR BY 2035: Negotiators at the United Nations Climate Conference (COP29) over the weekend agreed on a climate finance deal, requiring wealthy countries to contribute $300 billion per year by 2035 to help underdeveloped countries address the effects of climate change. 

Negotiators were unable to reach an agreement at the end of the two week conference on Friday in Baku, forcing them to work overtime to strike a deal. The countries agreed that wealthy nations would pay $300 billion per year by 2035, more than the previous pledge when nations agreed to $100 billion.  

“Reaching an agreement at #COP29 was essential to keep the 1.5°C global warming limit alive,” UN secretary general Antónion Guterres said.

“I had hoped for a more ambitious outcome – on both finance & mitigation – to meet the scale of the great challenge we face, but the agreement reached provides a base on which to build,” Guterres said. “It must be honoured in full & and on time. I appeal to governments to do so, with urgency.” 

What are developing countries saying: Many developing nations expressed disapproval of the deal, claiming that the funding is insufficient. Some developing countries believed $1 trillion was needed to combat the effects of climate change. 

The BBC reported that the chair of the Alliance of Small Island States, Cedric Schuster, said, “Our islands are sinking. How can you expect us to go back to the women, men, and children of our countries with a poor deal?”

Indian delegation representative, Chandni Raina told the conference, “I regret to say that this document is nothing more than an optical illusion.” 

“This in our opinion, will not address the enormity of the challenge we all face,” she said. “Therefore, we oppose the adoption of this document. We oppose the adoption of this argument. India opposes the adoption of this document, and please take note and regard for what we have just said from the floor of this room.” 

JAPAN WEIGHING NEW EMISSIONS REDUCTION TARGET: Japan is reportedly considering setting a new emissions reduction goal for 2035, in an effort to reach net zero by 2050. 

The details: Following a government panel held on Monday, officials have said the country is weighing a target of reducing emissions by 60% by 2035, according to Bloomberg. This expands on the nation’s current goal of cutting emissions by 46% by 2030. Under the new goals, Japan would also reportedly seek to reduce emissions by 73% by 2040. 

While the increased targets are anticipated to be welcomed by environmentalists and activists, they fall far short of reductions needed to be compatible with the internationally agreed goal of limiting temperature increase to 1.5 degrees Centigrade.

This month, Climate Action Tracker released a report on 2035 targets for major emitting countries, including the United States, China, India and more. Japan – which makes up for around 2.2% of global greenhouse gas emissions, per the report – would need to cut its emissions by 81% by 2035 to stay on target with the Paris Agreement goals of keeping global warming levels below 1.5 C above pre-industrial levels. Though, it is important to remember that many climate experts have already begun to warn this goal is now completely out of reach. 

COUNTRIES BEGIN TALKS ON SECURING A GLOBAL TREATY TO CURB PLASTIC POLLUTION: Representatives of more than 170 countries have gathered in Busan, South Korea, to reach a global deal on curbing plastic pollution. This week’s United Nation Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee on Plastic Pollution is the fifth and final session. The talks will go through Saturday. 

“Our world is drowning in plastic pollution. Every year, we produce 460 million tonnes of plastic, much of which is quickly thrown away,” Guterres told delegates 

According to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, global production and use of plastics is set to reach 736 million tonnes by 2040. 

In addition, South Korea President Yoon Suk Yeol urged delegates to reach a deal. “The excessive reliance of humanity on the convenience of plastics has resulted in an exponential increase in plastic waste; the waste accumulated in our oceans and rivers now jeopardizes the lives of future generations,” he said.

“I sincerely hope that over the coming week all Member States will stand together in solidarity – with a sense of responsibility for future generations – to open a new historic chapter by finalizing a treaty on plastic pollution,” he added. 

NEWSOM PLEDGES ELECTRIC VEHICLE REBATES TO COUNTERACT TRUMP: Gov. Gavin Newsom said if Trump eliminates federal electric vehicle tax credits, California would provide rebates for residents who purchase EVs. 

“Consumers continue to prove the skeptics wrong — zero-emission vehicles are here to stay. We will intervene if the Trump Administration eliminates the federal tax credit, doubling down on our commitment to clean air and green jobs in California,” Newsom said in a statement. “We’re not turning back on a clean transportation future — we’re going to make it more affordable for people to drive vehicles that don’t pollute.”

Newsom said he would propose a new version of the state’s Clean Vehicle Rebate Project, which ended in 2023. The program funded more than 594,000 vehicles and offered rebates from $1,000 to $7,500 for the purchase or lease of new, eligible zero-emission vehicles. 

The proposed rebates would be financed from the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund, which is funded by contributions to the state’s cap-and-trade program from polluters.

The Trump administration transition team plans to eliminate the $7,500 consumer tax credit for electric vehicle purchases as part of tax reform legislation, Reuters reported earlier this month. 

Read more by Maydeen here. 

TESLA VIOLATED ENVIRONMENTAL RULES AT AUSTIN FACILITY: A massive Tesla production plant in Austin, Texas, has been accused of spewing atmosphere-warming pollution into the air and discharging hazardous wastewater, violating several environmental guidelines. 

The details: The accusations follow a Wall Street Journal investigation that claimed the facility – which stretches across more than 10 million square feet – began causing environmental problems in 2022. Those issues haven’t gone away, as regulators with Austin Water accused Tesla in June of this year of violating its city permit. Regulators claimed the EV company released over 9,000 gallons of wastewater that hadn’t been properly treated into the city’s sewer system.

The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, which reportedly has opened at least 15 investigations into the facility, 14 connected to air pollution and one for waste, also informed Tesla in August it had at least five violations of exceeding its emissions limit for air pollutants. 

The WSJ’s investigation reportedly found that managers at the Tesla facility had been aware of several environmental hazards leading to these violations and opted to use “short-term fixes” for months to avoid slowing down production of EVs. Former employees also told the outlet that some were afraid they would be fired if they drew attention to the issue, and at least one said they were asked to “lie to the government.” 

A LOOK AHEAD: 

Nov. 25 the United Nations begins its fifth and final meeting on reducing plastic pollution in Busan, South Korea. 

Nov. 26 the Harvard University Center for the Environment is holding a webinar titled “What Does Trump 2.0 Mean for Climate Change.” 

Nov. 26 The German Marshall Fund of the U.S. to hold a forum looking at European reactions to the recent presidential election. 

Nov. 27–Dec. 2 is the International Exhibition of Extractive and Energy Resources (SIREXE) in Côte d’Ivoire, bringing together global stakeholders in the mining, oil, and energy industries.

Nov. 28 Happy Thanksgiving! If you celebrate, enjoy the holiday with your loved ones. 

Nov. 28–29 is the 9th ECOWAS Sustainable Energy Forum, one of the largest annual gatherings focused on sustainable energy in Africa. 

RUNDOWN 

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