USPS opts to deliver emission cuts

Presented by The American Petroleum Institute (API): Your guide to the political forces shaping the energy transformation

Jul 21, 2022 View in browser   By Arianna Skibell Presented by The American Petroleum Institute (API) USPS The U.S. Postal Service's decision to increase its share of electric vehicles marks a modest climate and public health victory during a time when deep greenhouse gas emission cuts seem out of reach. After three lawsuits and an intense pressure campaign from Democratic lawmakers, environmental groups and the White House, the quasi-independent agency said Wednesday that 50 percent of its initial order of new vehicles will be electric. That's a substantial increase from the 20 percent it had initially slated. The stakes are significant. The transportation sector is the country's single largest source of carbon emissions, and USPS uses more energy than any other federal agency. But last year the agency announced a 10-year, multibillion-dollar contract to replace as many as 165,000 delivery trucks with 90 percent gasoline-powered vehicles. The move flew in the face of President Joe Biden's directive to replace all 645,000 federal cars and trucks with electric models. With its 220,000 mail trucks, USPS operates more than a third of all federal vehicles — the world's largest civilian fleet — making it critical to helping achieve Biden's goal. The agency has now committed to a minimum purchase of 84,500 electric vehicles over the next decade to replace its fleet of Grumman Long Life Vehicles, many of which are over 30 years old. The old trucks lack modern safety features (they are fire prone) and are uncomfortable (no air conditioning). The health benefits of electric mail trucks would be significant for both the drivers and the communities they serve. As the gas-guzzling vehicles weave through densely populated neighborhoods, they spew toxic emissions with every exhaust-belching stop and start. Theoretically, the electric switch shouldn't be difficult. Mail carrier routes average only 20 miles a day. That means even outdated lead-acid battery technology would provide adequate range. The trucks are also parked in the same spot every night for reliable charging. But Postmaster General Louis DeJoy, a Trump appointee, has historically said electric vehicles simply cost too much. That's a familiar refrain for an agency that has toyed with EVs for over a century. It seems, however, USPS is finally making a U-turn.   It's Thursday — thank you for tuning in to POLITICO's Power Switch. I'm your host,  Arianna Skibell.  Power Switch is brought to you by the journalists behind E&E News and POLITICO Energy. Send your tips, comments, questions to  askibell@eenews.net. Fact check True or False? Democrats' climate bill risks inflation. When Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia tanked negotiations over Senate Democrats' ambitious energy and climate spending package, he blamed inflation. POLITICO's E&E News reporter Jean Chemnick checked in with a number of economists to see if Manchin's concerns are legitimate. The verdict? False. In fact, many economists say the kinds of policies Democrats are pursuing would actually relieve pressure on consumers, not add to their burden. Jean breaks it down here .   A message from The American Petroleum Institute (API): Several factors led to significant supply/demand imbalance in global oil markets. Demand for energy, specifically crude oil, surged as global economies rebounded from the early part of the pandemic. Russia's invasion and the resulting instability exacerbated the global energy crisis. President Biden has spent the past few months asking foreign oil producers to increase petroleum supply to help alleviate high gas prices, even visiting the oil-rich Middle East. Yet the solution is here in America.   Power Centers Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.) suggests actions Biden can take to address climate change. | J. Scott Applewhite/AP Pressure campaign Democrats are keeping the pressure on President Joe Biden to declare a climate emergency as the party tries to move on from another congressional climate failure, writes Nick Sobczyk. Biden said he intends to take additional executive actions on climate, but progressives, who have been calling for an emergency declaration for years, are watching cautiously. Read more here . While declaring a climate emergency would allow Biden to unleash sweeping actions to restrain greenhouse gas production, it could come at a steep cost, write Alex Guillén and Ben Lefebvre. Here's that story . A Trumpian legacy Biden has doubled down on commitments to vastly expand U.S. offshore wind capacity, but he could run into a roadblock left by former President Donald Trump, writes Heather Richards. In 2020, Trump signed a 10-year ban on offshore energy development in the southern Atlantic Ocean. A provision currently working its way through Congress could reverse the ban. Here's the story . Storing gas for winter The German government is ramping up plans to conserve gas for the winter heating season despite a partial return of supplies from Russia, write Joshua Posaner and Hans von der Buchard. The measures will require citizens to cut back on their energy consumption and even opt for alternative fuels like coal to make up for reduced gas usage. Read the story here . In Other News A scrap metal facility in Chicago. | Scott Olson/Getty Images Tale of two cities: The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development has found that Chicago took an "unusually active" role in violating its residents' civil rights by working to relocate polluting industrial facilities from wealthy and white areas to Black and Latino communities. The great melt: The amount of Greenland ice that melted last weekend could cover West Virginia in a foot of water. And scientists are worried. Today in POLITICO Energy's podcast: Zack Colman breaks down the latest climate actions from the White House and why Biden has so far decided not to declare a climate emergency. Question Corner The science, policy and politics driving the energy transition can feel miles away. But we're all affected on an individual and communal level — from hotter days and higher gas prices to home insurance rates and food supply. Want to know more? Send me your questions and I'll get you answers.   A message from The American Petroleum Institute (API):   Subscriber Zone A showcase of some of our best subscriber content. An illustration of a rail car equipped with carbon removal technology. | CO2 Rail Company Researchers are working on a plan to remove carbon using rail cars, which would be linked to trains and collect air from their slipstream. Ford just inked a deal to buy lithium for its electric vehicles from a proposed mine in Nevada, but the mine could destroy the only known patch of Tiehm's buckwheat. The Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee deadlocked on Biden's Interior nominee in a hearing that devolved into another heated battle about the Biden administration's energy policies. That's it for today, folks! Thanks for reading.   A message from The American Petroleum Institute (API): Washington policymakers must confront the global mismatch between demand and supply that has driven higher fuel prices by supporting greater U.S. production. To address the growing crisis we face, Congress and the President must support energy investment, create new access and prevent regulations from unnecessarily restricting energy growth. The world is calling out for energy leadership. Read the American Petroleum Institute's 10 in 2022 Plan which outlines 10 actions Congress can take to unleash U.S. energy and drive economic recovery. Read here.     Follow us on Twitter Arianna Skibell @ariannaskibell   Follow us

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