VON DER LEYEN’S GREEN PLANS: European parliament members have reelected Ursula von der Leyen Thursday to another five-year term as president of the European Union’s executive commission – and she’s got a few ambitious green goals she’s hoping to implement within her second term, Nancy writes.
In a statement released ahead of the election, the EU Commission president promised to adhere to the targets of the European Green New Deal, while looking to enshrine the goal of cutting 90% of carbon emissions by 2040 into law.
“For our young people, 2030, 2040, 2050 is around the corner,” the statement reads. “They know that we have to reconcile climate protection with a prosperous economy. And they would never forgive us if we do not rise to the challenge.”
The newly reelected official also promised to put forward a new “Clean Industrial Deal” in the first 100 days of her new term, which would funnel investment into infrastructure and industry for energy-intensive sectors. The efforts, she argues, would look to bring down energy costs – which have become a problem following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, which raised prices for surrounding European nations.
“This will help create lead markets in everything from clean steel to clean tech and it will speed up planning, tendering, and permitting,” she writes. “Therefore, together, we will ensure that the era of dependency on Russian fossil fuels is over.”
The European Green New Deal, which was signed into law in 2020, is a set of environmental policies to achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2050.
Analysis of the vote: Winning with well-above the majority needed to secure her reelection, a number of Greens had backed von der Leyen following the release of her statement promising to work on climate initiatives. According to BBC News, the EU Commission president acknowledged the group’s votes were crucial to her winning a second term, saying she was “very grateful” for their support.
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APPROPRIATIONS WATCH: Senate appropriators have scheduled the next committee mark-up of funding bills for next Thursday – and this includes a mark-up of the Interior and Environment bill, along with the Transportation, Housing and Urban Development measure.
Just a reminder: The Senate has passed three funding bills out of committee, while the House has passed all 12 funding bills out of committee and four from the floor.
So, who’s winning the approps race? Well, it’s not a race per se … but the House is surely moving quicker than the Senate!
But what remains to be seen: If both chambers can pass all 12 bills before the Oct. 1 funding deadline.
Watch the mark-up here on July 25 at 9:30 a.m.
INTERIOR SECRETARY BOEBERT? Rep. Lauren Boebert is looking for a promotion if former President Donald Trump were to win the White House – and she’s already eyeing the top slot at the Interior Department, Source NM writes.
In an interview with radio show Native American Calling on Wednesday, the Colorado Republican expressed that she’s interested in the job.
“I think Lauren Boebert needs to be the secretary of the Interior. President Trump, I would like to be secretary of the Interior,” she told the radio show.
Boebert, who sits on the House Natural Resources Committee, would replace current Interior Secretary Deb Haaland in that scenario. In the interview, she mentioned that she would roll back a number of Haaland efforts, such as expanding the Bears Ears National Monument. She also advocated for further fossil fuel projects, and would move the Bureau of Land Management offices out of Washington, D.C., and into other states.
What to expect if she were to be the top Interior official: The Colorado Republican is a crusader for fossil fuels – often touting the phrase “Drill, baby, drill” – and has aligned herself closely with Trump’s record. When asked about the Antiquities Act, she responded, “Ugh, the Antiquities Act, nope.”
“There’s been a lot of things through the Antiquities Act where we have had land grabs by the federal government. I do not want any land grabs. I do not want more wilderness areas. I don’t want these, these areas where we are unable to actually manage the land,” she said.
MAJOR LAYOFFS AT MINING GIANT FORTESCUE: Global mining company Fortescue is enacting hundreds of layoffs and dropping its ambitious original goal of mass producing green hydrogen by 2030, the Financial Times scoops.
The mining company – led by Andrew “Twiggy” Forrest, one of Australia’s most affluent individuals – initially sought to mass produce 15 million tonnes of green hydrogen per year. But they soon realized the goal was out of reach, the publication writes.
The original goal is still there – but the timeline is likely going to be pushed back amid the company dramatically cutting its workforce by 700 jobs.
Why it matters: Forrest has been one of the leading voices for investment in green hydrogen. But Fortescue joins a trend of companies scaling back plans for green hydrogen, as the industry faces headwinds from high technological costs and mild demand. The French utility Engie and Norwegian renewable energy company StatKraft have both lowered targets for green hydrogen production.
SPEAKING OF CLEAN HYDROGEN…: The Department of Energy has inked its first official deal to launch a hub producing clean hydrogen.
The Alliance for Renewable Clean Hydrogen Systems, otherwise known as ARCHES, has reached a $12.6 billion agreement with DOE to launch the first of seven hydrogen hubs across the country. The hub is expected to facilitate the production of clean hydrogen to curb the use of fossil fuels, with the aim of decarbonizing public transportation by 2 million metric tons per year – the emissions roughly equivalent of 445,000 gas-fired cars.
“Thanks to the Biden-Harris Administration, California is excited to pioneer this world-leading initiative that’ll show other states and countries what’s possible when you prioritize clean energy and public health,” California Gov. Gavin Newsom said in a written statement.
Why it’s important: $1.2 billion of the funds from the agreement stemmed from the bipartisan infrastructure law, which allocated billions to build out clean hydrogen infrastructure to support the sector. The Inflation Reduction Act also included billions in tax credits to dole out to producers in hopes of jump-starting the industry.
Still, hurdles remain: Proposed guidance for the tax credit, otherwise known as 45V, is sparking outcry from industry players and lawmakers as being too strict – which they say threatens rollout of the credit to help support the burgeoning industry. Most recently, Democrats who voted for the IRA – and some who even wrote provisions related to the hydrogen tax credit – sent a letter to Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen expressing concerns about the tax credit guidance having “burdensome and unnecessary restrictions.” Rep. Alex Padilla, a California Democrat who worked to secure funding for the ARCHES hub, signed the letter. Read that here.
RUNDOWN
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