| | | | |  | | By Alex Daugherty | | | With help from Tanya Snyder and Oriana Pawlyk
| | | — Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm will today announce new grant funds to improve the lithium-ion battery supply chain and hydrogen research, a major priority for Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.). — The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration is moving forward with speed limiters for large trucks, a proposal that has divided the trucking industry. — New Delta uniforms, which flight attendants say are unsafe, are set to go in service today. IT'S MONDAY: You're reading Morning Transportation, your Washington policy guide to everything that moves. Send tips, pitches, feedback and song lyrics to us at adaugherty@politico.com, tsnyder@politico.com and opawlyk@politico.com. You can also find us on Twitter:@alextdaugherty, @TSnyderDC and@Oriana0214. "Go on and write me up for 125/Post my face, wanted dead or alive/Take my license, all that jive/I can't drive 55"
| | A message from Freight Rail Works: America could reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 17 million tons a year if we shipped more freight by rail — and that's only the beginning. We're collaborating with experts, research universities and government agencies to develop more environmentally friendly ways to power locomotives. Learn what we're doing to reduce greenhouse gas emissions as we enter a more sustainable era of freight rail. | | | | | | BILLIONS FOR BATTERIES: Granholm visits Michigan today, where she is expected to announce the launch of a $7 billion grant opportunity to invest in growing the battery supply chain as well as $1.5 billion to advance hydrogen manufacturing and recycling research and development. China currently dominates global lithium-ion battery production, with a 76 percent share of the global market (the U.S. share is currently 8 percent). "I don't think we're trying to be China," said Ben Steinberg, a former DOE official who is now executive vice president of Venn Strategies and co-chair of Venn's critical infrastructure group. "It's about building an industry that services the U.S. market … and [becoming] the masters of our own destiny, rather than being beholden to others, as much as possible." MANCHIN WATCH: The announcement notably comes days after Manchin said he opposes all tax credits for electric vehicle purchases and instead said he wants to see more money invested in hydrogen technology. Manchin's vote, we'll remind you again, is critical for any hopes of passing a party-line bill that includes large parts of President Joe Biden's domestic agenda. BIG ON HYDROGEN: Manchin said at a Senate Appropriations Committee hearing on Thursday he's "very big on hydrogen, but we have not put the money or put the research to hydrogen the way we have on EVs, and it seems that we're still going down that path." Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, who was testifying at ththat hearing, replied that while DOT is also interested in hydrogen's potential, "we feel a sense of enormous urgency to deploy the technologies that exist and are on the market today."
| | | | A message from Freight Rail Works:   | | | | | | TALKING CLIMATE: Burgess Everett, Anthony Adragna and Marianne LeVine report that a small bipartisan group of lawmakers will gather again on Monday evening to hash out whether a bipartisan deal to combat climate change and modernize U.S. energy policy is still possible. Most Democrats believe they have just a few weeks to finish their legislative agenda before the midterm campaign season begins in earnest, yet Manchin has started trying to recruit Republicans to work on this issue. REPUBLICANS FOR ENERGY? Manchin said he'd prefer that party-line vote to sidestep GOP opposition be used "for taxes" and that he's "committed to an energy-climate bill that makes sense for the United States of America." So does Manchin want a bipartisan energy bill and a Democratic-only tax bill that includes some climate spending? "I'm keeping all options open," he replied.
| | | NEED FOR LESS SPEED: The FMCSA is proceeding with a speed limiter rulemaking for large trucks, setting in motion a proposal that's been in the works for years and has drawn mixed reactions from the trucking industry, your MT host reports . The supplemental proposed rule would require commercial motor vehicles in excess of 26,001 pounds to be equipped with an electronic engine control unit capable of governing the vehicle's maximum speed. That maximum speed will be determined by the rulemaking, the FMCSA said. NEED FOR (SOME) SPEED:American Trucking Associations CEO Chris Spear said the group was "pleased" that FMCSA is "pursuing a constructive, data-driven approach to the issue of truck speed limiters in its latest proposal." ATA supports a maximum speed of 70 miles per hour for trucks with automatic emergency braking and adaptive cruise control and 65 miles per hours for trucks without those features. It opposes lower speed limits. FULL THROTTLE: The Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association is opposed to speed limiters altogether, arguing that speed limits for large trucks "create unnecessary congestion and dangerous speed differentials among vehicles."
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| | | PRESSING CONCERNS: Delta Air Lines' flight attendant union says today is the deadline for many flight attendants to switchto the airlines' gray uniform — even though some workers have reported adverse reactions when wearing it and fear there will be repercussions if they refuse. The backstory: Delta had its first uniform blunder in 2018, after dozens of flight attendants started experiencing rashes, hives and difficulty breathing in the new Zac Posen-designed purple uniform. The airline moved to create a new uniform, but as the pandemic ramped up in early 2020, postponed a formal switch and instead allowed crew to don approved black and white attire in the interim. They new gray uniform poses similar medical concerns, the flight attendants say. "The instructions are clear: if you don't wear it, you can't fly," saida Delta flight attendant in a blog post on the Delta AFA union page, of the latest shift. "Our only choices are unpaid leave or leaving Delta." Tailor-made solutions on the way? A spokesperson for the airline told POLITICO on Friday that Delta will offer accommodations to employees with approved medical conditions. "While all employees will be required to be in our approved Delta uniform by May 2, we continue to offer an accommodations process for approved medical conditions to all employees," Delta spokesperson Lisa Hanna said. "Only a small number of employees have made this request." Roughly three dozen have reached out the airline regarding the accommodations process out of the 20,0000 flight attendants at Delta. Hanna was unable to detail what the accommodations or a case-by-case review entails.
| | | CHAO ON GOVERNMENT AND INNOVATION: Former DOT Secretary Elaine Chao appeared on POLITICO's Women Rule "exchange" Friday with female leaders in the technology sector. She talked about the three roles of government in fostering innovation: promoting it, getting money out to fund it and regulating it. "The easiest thing for the government regulators to do is, don't move; don't take your car out of the garage, nothing," she said. "But the challenge of the regulator is to engage with these new emerging technologies to address legitimate public concerns about safety, security, and privacy without hampering innovation." You can watch the whole panel here.
| | | ANOTHER TESLA RECALL: More than 48,000 Tesla Model 3 cars are subject to a new recall because the speedometer doesn't include the unit of speed — miles or kilometers per hour — while the car is ina high-performance "Track Mode ." This failure to display the unit of speed violates Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards. Tesla says it will perform a free over-the-air software update to remedy the situation.
| | | | The Chamber of Commerce announced that John Drake has been promoted to vice president of transportation, infrastructure and supply chain policy. Drake will lead the Chamber's advocacy on transportation issues before Congress and the White House. He previously worked at Amazon and DOT. The Chamber also announced a new Cyber, Space, and National Security Policy Division under the continued leadership of Senior Vice President Christopher Roberti. Formerly the Cyber, Intelligence, and Supply Chain Security Division, the new division now includes the Chamber's Defense and Aerospace Council and will provide enhanced advocacy in cyber, intelligence, procurement acquisition and innovation, space and aerospace and supply chain security.
| | | | INTRODUCING DIGITAL FUTURE DAILY - OUR TECHNOLOGY NEWSLETTER, RE-IMAGINED: Technology is always evolving, and our new tech-obsessed newsletter is too! Digital Future Daily unlocks the most important stories determining the future of technology, from Washington to Silicon Valley and innovation power centers around the world. Readers get an in-depth look at how the next wave of tech will reshape civic and political life, including activism, fundraising, lobbying and legislating. Go inside the minds of the biggest tech players, policymakers and regulators to learn how their decisions affect our lives. Don't miss out, subscribe today. | | | | | | | | — "Southwest Airlines cuts 20,000 summer flights, boosts hiring to brace for travelers." Dallas Morning News. — "Millions of Alaska-bound honeybees die at Atlanta airport." Alaska Public Media. — "Chaos as American family brings unexploded shell to Israel airport." CNN.
| | A message from Freight Rail Works: Even as America's freight railroads work 24/7 to keep our supply chains moving, the industry continues to take the lead on sustainability and emissions reduction. Rail moves more freight than any other method of transportation, but only accounts for 1.9% of related greenhouse gas emissions — and our industry is working hard to get that number even lower. Every year, we continue to invest our own money into making sure our equipment and infrastructure is more sustainable, while teaming up with governments, universities and other experts to develop innovative ways to further reduce environmental impact. Learn how freight rail is helping the U.S. move toward a low-emission future. | | | | | | | Follow us on Twitter | | | | Follow us | | | | |
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