As the federal government faces a potential first-ever default in June without an increase in the debt ceiling, House Republicans last month passed the Limit, Save, Grow Act of 2023 in a narrow vote of 217-215 with four...more
5/3/2023
/ Debt Ceiling ,
Defense Production Act ,
Department of Energy (DOE) ,
Electric Vehicles ,
Energy Sector ,
Environmental Justice ,
Executive Orders ,
Green Climate Fund (GCF) ,
Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) ,
Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) ,
Mineral Leases ,
Sustainability
Inflation Reduction Act Overview -
$740 billion package focused on inflation and deficit reduction, health care, and energy security & climate change -
• Raises $737 billion in revenue through a new 15% corporate book...more
4/20/2023
/ Affordable Care Act ,
Clean Energy ,
Climate Change ,
Deficit Reduction ,
Energy Sector ,
Healthcare ,
Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) ,
Internal Revenue Code (IRC) ,
Investment Tax Credits ,
Prevailing Wages ,
Production Tax Credit ,
Tax Credits ,
Wages
House Approves Republican Energy Package -
Four Democrats joined with all Republicans to approve, in a 225-204 vote, a massive House energy bill on March 30. While the bill will almost certainly not advance in the Senate,...more
4/5/2023
/ Climate Change ,
Cyber Attacks ,
Department of Energy (DOE) ,
Electric Vehicles ,
Energy Sector ,
Fossil Fuel ,
Hydrogen Power ,
Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) ,
Infrastructure ,
Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NOPR) ,
Offshore Wind ,
Proposed Legislation ,
Sustainability
House Republicans Aim to Advance Major Energy Package House Republicans have started the process to advance a significant energy package in 2023 and held hearings on multiple measures in late February, with the goal of...more
DOE Announces Clean Hydrogen Funding Opportunity -
The Department of Energy (DOE) has announced $47 million in funding to accelerate the research, development, and demonstration (RD&D) of affordable clean hydrogen...more
2/6/2023
/ Carbon Emissions ,
Clean Energy ,
Department of Energy (DOE) ,
Department of Transportation (DOT) ,
Energy Sector ,
FEMA ,
Grants ,
HUD ,
Hydrogen Power ,
Renewable Energy ,
Sustainability
Congress returns this month for the start of the 118th Congress, with Republicans in the majority in the House of Representatives and Democrats holding a slightly expanded majority in the Senate. Divided government means the...more
12/30/2022
/ BOEM ,
Clean Energy ,
Climate Change ,
Department of Energy (DOE) ,
Energy Sector ,
Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) ,
Infrastructure ,
Investment ,
Proposed Rules ,
Renewable Energy ,
Sustainability ,
U.S. Treasury
Congress returned to Washington following the Thanksgiving holiday for a lame duck session to close out the 117th Congress. On the agenda are a number of “must pass” items such as the annual National Defense Authorization Act...more
12/5/2022
/ Debt Ceiling ,
Department of Energy (DOE) ,
Energy Sector ,
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ,
Federal Budget ,
Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) ,
NDAA ,
Renewable Fuel ,
Sustainability ,
Transmission Grid ,
Ukraine
Congress was in recess for the month of October for the final push toward the November 8 midterm elections, but executive branch activities related to energy and sustainability have continued.
Treasury & IRS Seek Public...more
10/31/2022
/ Battery ,
Clean Power Plan ,
Department of Energy (DOE) ,
Energy Sector ,
General Services Administration (GSA) ,
Hydropower ,
Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) ,
IRS ,
Manufacturers ,
Sustainability ,
Tax Incentives ,
U.S. Treasury
Rollout of IRA Clean Energy Provisions Continues -
As reported in last month’s Washington Energy & Sustainability Update, implementation of the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 (IRA), including its clean energy provisions,...more
10/5/2022
/ Biden Administration ,
Clean Energy ,
Climate Change ,
Conservation ,
Department of Energy (DOE) ,
Energy Sector ,
Executive Orders ,
FERC ,
Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) ,
NDAA ,
Public Health ,
Sustainability
Inflation Reduction Act Is Now Law – Rollout Begins -
Following months of intense closed-door negotiations, Democrats successfully advanced significant portions of their energy and climate agenda with the passage and...more
Build Back Better No More – Welcome to the Inflation Reduction Act -
Starting as a $3.5 trillion legislative proposal to tackle climate change and shore up the social safety net, the Build Back Better Act was eventually...more
8/2/2022
/ Affordable Care Act ,
Building Codes ,
Carbon Capture and Sequestration ,
Clean Energy ,
Energy Sector ,
Equity ,
Greenhouse Gas Emissions ,
Inflation Adjustments ,
National Emissions Standards ,
Research and Development ,
Sustainability
Democrats Continue Push for Revised Build Back Better Act -
With the window for action on a revised reconciliation bill to address Democratic climate and social policy goals quickly closing, Senate Majority Leader Charles...more
6/30/2022
/ Clean Energy ,
Climate Change ,
Department of Energy (DOE) ,
Disclosure Requirements ,
Electric Vehicles ,
Energy Efficiency ,
Energy Sector ,
Financial Statements ,
Greenhouse Gas Emissions ,
Investment ,
Offshore Wind ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
Solar Energy ,
Sustainability ,
Wind Power
A soft target for negotiating a smaller version of the Build Back Better Act (BBB) climate and social legislation by Memorial Day has passed with no resolution, although neither the White House nor Senate Democratic...more
With the 2022 mid-term election now just over six months away, aside from dealing with crises such as the pandemic and the war in Ukraine, the federal policy environment is increasingly driven by partisan goals aimed at...more
President Biden’s FY23 Budget -
The White House released President Biden’s budget request for Fiscal Year 2023 in late March, including a total request for $48.2 billion for the Department of Energy — representing a $6.3...more
House of Representatives Approves America COMPETES Act -
The House of Representatives approved the America Creating Opportunities for Manufacturing Pre-Eminence in Technology and Economic Strength (America COMPETES) Act of...more
Implementation of Bipartisan Infrastructure Law -
The Biden Administration has created a new website (www.build.gov) focused on implementation of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act – now commonly referred to as the...more
President Biden has signed into law the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), the bipartisan infrastructure bill approved by the Senate in August and the House of Representatives in November. With a price tag of $1.2...more
12/1/2021
/ Biden Administration ,
Carbon Capture and Sequestration ,
Clean Energy ,
Climate Change ,
Energy Efficiency ,
Energy Sector ,
Energy Storage ,
Infrastructure ,
Methane ,
NDAA ,
Power Grid ,
Sustainability
Negotiations Continue on Budget Reconciliation & Infrastructure Bills -
Although the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act – also referred to as the Bipartisan Infrastructure Framework (BIF) – was approved by the Senate in...more
10/14/2021
/ Budget Reconciliation ,
Clean Energy ,
Cybersecurity ,
Department of Energy (DOE) ,
Department of Environmental Quality ,
Energy Sector ,
HFC Emissions ,
Infrastructure ,
NEPA ,
NREL ,
Popular ,
Sustainability
Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act -
As reported in our previous Washington Updates, months of negotiation and a great deal of compromise between the White House and bipartisan negotiators on Capitol Hill resulted in a...more
9/15/2021
/ Cybersecurity ,
Department of Energy (DOE) ,
Electric Vehicles ,
Energy Sector ,
Infrastructure ,
Investment Tax Credits ,
Popular ,
Production Tax Credit ,
Reconciliation ,
Sustainability ,
Zero Emission Credits
Bipartisan Infrastructure Framework -
When President Biden first released his $2 trillion infrastructure plan there was immediate pushback from Republicans who claimed the president’s proposal, the American Jobs Plan, was...more
Biden Releases FY22 Budget Request -
The Biden Administration’s budget request was released on May 28, outlining the President’s spending priorities for the next fiscal year that starts on October 1. It is important to...more
Leaders Summit on Climate -
On April 22-23 President Biden hosted the Leaders Summit on Climate, a virtual event intended to underscore the urgency – and the economic benefits – of stronger climate action. 40 world...more
Biden Administration Announces Initiatives for Offshore Wind -
On March 29, National Climate Advisor Gina McCarthy, Interior Secretary Deb Haaland, Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm, Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo, and...more
4/5/2021
/ Biden Administration ,
Carbon Capture and Sequestration ,
Climate Change ,
Department of Energy (DOE) ,
Electricity ,
Energy Projects ,
Energy Sector ,
Environmental Justice ,
Executive Orders ,
Renewable Energy ,
Wind Power
Since our last update we have seen the start of a new congress, an unprecedented insurrection at the U.S. Capitol, the impeachment of an outgoing president, and the inauguration of a new president. To say these are heady...more