How Biden’s aides amped up the power plant rule

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May 17, 2023 View in browser   By Arianna Skibell Presented by Chevron EPA Administrator Michael Regan speaks about new proposed limits on greenhouse gas emissions from coal- and gas-fired power plants. | Nathan Howard/AP Photo White House officials pushed EPA to strengthen its proposed limits on power plant pollution before the rule’s release last week, Benjamin Storrow and Scott Waldman reported today. The revelation came from six people familiar with the deliberations, who said the White House had urged EPA to regulate pollution from existing natural gas plants and to require coal facilities to capture their carbon more quickly. The back-and-forth, which came after the White House received EPA’s draft rule, underscores the tension between President Joe Biden’s climate commitments and the legal limitations imposed by the conservative Supreme Court, Benjamin and Scott write. Neither the White House nor EPA responded to requests for comment. EPA’s proposal comes less than a year after the court scaled back the agency’s regulatory options for controlling greenhouse gas emissions from the nation’s thousands of power plants. Republicans have pledged to challenge Biden’s policy, which the administration sees as critical for meeting its goal of cutting the power sector’s planet-warming emissions 80 percent by 2030. At the White House’s urging, the proposal now covers large natural gas plants that run at least half the year. The White House also sought a more aggressive timeline for coal plants to curb emissions 90 percent, but EPA settled on 2040 as a more realistic deadline. If the rule survives legal scrutiny, it would be the country’s first federal standard for curbing greenhouse gases from power plants, the nation’s second-largest source of climate pollution. Still, some experts question whether the beefed-up rule will deliver the pollution cuts needed by the end of the decade. Some analysts say the rule could let existing fossil fuel plants continue spewing greenhouse gases throughout this decade and that the dirtiest plants used to serve peak power demand could avoid strict limits altogether.   It's Wednesday — 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. POLITICO Energy Summit: Register here to attend POLITICO’s first-ever energy summit exploring how the U.S. is positioning itself in a complicated energy future and featuring guests such as Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm.   A message from Chevron: We’re working to help lower the lifecycle carbon emissions of transportation fuels. Find out how Chevron’s renewable diesel can help fuel the way to a lower carbon future.   Listen to today’s POLITICO Energy podcast Today in POLITICO Energy’s podcast: Ben Lefebvre breaks down the potential environmental justice implications of the Biden administration's plan to inject $12 billion into carbon capture and storage technology. offshore wind POLITICO illustration; Photos by AP Photo, Getty Images and iStock Snooki, Tucker Carlson and the battle for offshore wind in New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy is hoping New Jersey will be the nation’s leading producer of wind energy by 2040, but a surge in whale deaths and an unfounded link between the dead whales and wind energy is threatening to undermine those plans, writes Ry Rivard. Not helping matters are swirling conspiracy theories from mainstream Republicans and leading conservatives like former Fox News host Tucker Carlson — not to mention reality star Snooki. It’s a problem not just for the Democratic governor, who’s pinning his climate change agenda on coastal wind farms, but also for Biden's clean energy goals.   A message from Chevron:   Power Centers POLITICO illustration by Claudine Hellmuth/Photos by iStock Money talks Electric utilities are taking unprecedented steps to show that pledges to slash greenhouse gas emissions are more than just empty slogans by linking executive bonus pay to climate initiatives, writes Jeffrey Tomich. The tactic comes as influential investors are increasingly pushing for climate action and federal regulators are weighing a rule that would require utilities to disclose climate-related information. Manchin show: Gas stoves Sen. Joe Manchin scrapped a planned vote on a prominent Department of Energy nominee Wednesday morning, writes Nico Portuondo. The West Virginia Democrat pulled Jeff Marootian, nominee to lead the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, from a markup agenda because of the agency’s proposal to regulate gas stoves. "Crazy" France Anger at France boiled over Wednesday as European Union countries accused Paris of taking a key piece of EU climate legislation “hostage” at the last minute to extract further concessions in the text, writes Victor Jack. “France is crazy,” said a diplomat from one EU country, who requested anonymity to speak candidly about country dynamics, adding that there was “a lot” of anger at Paris “from all sides.” In Other News Pipeline progress: The Biden administration has granted a crucial permit for the Mountain Valley Pipeline, despite opposition from climate experts and environmental groups. COP28: Pacific Island leaders say rich countries are not doing enough to control climate change.   DON’T MISS THE POLITICO ENERGY SUMMIT: A new world energy order is emerging and America’s place in it is at a critical juncture. Join POLITICO on Thursday, May 18 for our first-ever energy summit to explore how the U.S. is positioning itself in a complicated energy future. We’ll explore progress on infrastructure and climate funding dedicated to building a renewable energy economy, Biden’s environmental justice proposals, and so much more. REGISTER HERE.     Subscriber Zone A showcase of some of our best subscriber content. Large stacks release emissions at the coal-fired Morgantown Generating Station in Newburg, Md. | Mark Wilson/Getty Images Modeling shows that EPA's proposed power plant rule would have a limited impact. That's because Biden's climate law has already done much of the work. A proposal to make California a nexus of energy-sharing in the West has been halted in the Legislature, hobbling an effort that drew heavy opposition from labor and ratepayer advocates. A federal appeals court said energy regulators did not have to consider a contested climate metric before approving a liquefied natural gas export terminal in Alaska's North Slope. That's it for today, folks! Thanks for reading.   GET READY FOR GLOBAL TECH DAY: Join POLITICO Live as we launch our first Global Tech Day alongside London Tech Week on Thursday, June 15. Register now for continuing updates and to be a part of this momentous and program-packed day! From the blockchain, to AI, and autonomous vehicles, technology is changing how power is exercised around the world, so who will write the rules? REGISTER HERE.       A message from Chevron: Renewable fuels can help lower lifecycle carbon emissions in industries around the world. At Chevron, we’re working to bring more renewable fuels to vehicles, today. Our renewable diesel can fuel trucks, trains, heavy-duty vehicles, and more, without requiring new equipment or infrastructure. The fuel—which is made with bio feedstock—has lower carbon intensity than regular diesel. It’s just one of the ways Chevron is committed to increasing our renewable fuel production, and fueling a lower carbon world. Find out more about our renewable diesel.     Follow us on Twitter Arianna Skibell @ariannaskibell   Follow us

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