Second Nature's Statement on the Appointment of Secretary of State John Kerry

Thanksgiving week, President-elect Joseph R. Biden, Jr. announced that former Secretary of State John Kerry would be appointed to a newly created cabinet position - Special Presidential Envoy for Climate - focused on re-establishing the United States’ global role in helping to combat climate change.  

We are thrilled with this appointment and that the Biden-Harris Administration is placing such emphasis on climate.  Read Full Statement...

Need to Know

GLOBAL
 - In late November, an alliance of international research universities issued a climate declaration and called for global leaders to use the COVID-19 recovery to thwart climate change.  This was done prior to the start of the G20 Summit.  More...  

FEDERAL
 - Of the first phone calls that President-elect Biden had with world leaders, 12 of the 14 phone conversations included a discussion about climate change.  More...

INDIVIDUAL STATES
ARIZONA
 - In mid-November, new energy rules were passed in Arizona that order electric companies to supply 100% renewable energy by 2050.  More...

CALIFORNIA
 - Although the Los Angeles area had 21 smog-free days coinciding with the COVID-19 stay-at-home order earlier this year, 2020 was a historic year for Southern California as being one of their smoggiest.  More...

MICHIGAN
 - Governor Gretchen Whitmer and Michigan Department of Natural Resources Director Dan Eichinger recently provided Enbridge - an oil transportation company in Canada - with notice that they would no longer have permission to operate a gas pipeline through the lake bottom of the Straits of Mackinac.  More... 

MINNESOTA
 - Many of the members of the Environmental Justice Advisory Group (a Minnesota Pollution Control Agency citizen advisory group) recently resigned in response to the agency's Commissioner Laura Bishop's go ahead on issuing Enbridge Energy a water-quality permit for its oil pipeline that goes through Minnesota.  More... 

 - Last Friday, Minnesota regulators voted against a hold that would have paused construction on a new Enbridge oil pipeline (the new pipeline would replace the current old pipeline) while appeals against the pipeline were making their way through the court system.  More...

NEW JERSEY
 - Public Service Enterprise Group (PSEG) is arranging to purchase a 25% stake in the Ørsted Ocean Wind project in New Jersey, which is the first offshore-wind project for the state.  More...

NEW HAMPSHIRE
 - In late November, Republican state lawmakers in the New Hampshire House of Representatives, sent a letter to the state Public Utilities Commission (PUC) asking them to forego approving energy efficiency standards that would go into effect at the beginning of 2021.  Their reasoning focused on "pandemic-driven economic concerns."  More...

 - In 2018, New Hampshire allotted $4.6 million for the building of EV charging stations in the state.  However, the New Hampshire Office of Strategic Initiatives which was charged with managing the effort, recently announced that not much progress has yet been made.  More...

 NORTH CAROLINA
 - The Andrea Harris Social, Economic, Environmental and Health Equity Task Force recently asked North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper to add environmental justice and inclusion positions at numerous state departments.  More...

 Newsletter Header Photo by Caleb Fisher on Unsplash | "Closed for the Holidays" Photo by Joanna Kosinska on Unsplash

Sources:

Aton, A.  (2020, November 19).  "Biden talked with 14 leaders. He raised climate with 12."  E&ENews.  URL.  Retrieved: 12/4/2020.  

Barboza, T.  (2020, December 6).  "L.A. began 2020 with a clean-air streak but ended with its worst smog in decades."  Los Angeles Times.  URL.  Retrieved: 12/7/2020.  

Bjorhus, J.  (2020, November 18).  "Minnesota Pollution Control Agency advisers quit over pipeline permit."  Star Tribune.  URL.  Retrieved: 12/7/2020. 

Friedman, L.  (2020, November 23).  "With John Kerry Pick, Biden Selects a ‘Climate Envoy’ With Stature."  The New York Times.  URL.  Retrieved: 12/7/2020.  

Isaac, M.  (2020, November 20).  "Top international universities issue first climate declaration ahead of G20 summit."  IOL.  URL.  Retrieved: 12/4/2020.  

Johnson, B.  (2020, December 4).  "State utility regulators vote against a stay on Enbridge pipeline project."  Star Tribune.  URL.  Retrieved: 12/7/2020.  

Johnson, T.  (2020, December 7).  "PSEG says it will take 25% stake in Ørsted Ocean Wind project."  NJ Spotlight News.  URL.  Retrieved: 12/7/2020.  

Matheny, K.  (2020, November 13).  "Whitmer to revoke Enbridge oil pipeline easement in Straits of Mackinac."  Detroit Free Press.  URL.  Retrieved: 12/7/2020.  

Randazzo, R.  (2020, November 13).  "Carbon-free energy rules move ahead in Arizona; renewable source requirement scrapped."  azcentral.  URL.  Retrieved: 12/4/2020.  

Ropeik, A.  (2020, November 30).  "Citing Economic Fears, House Republicans Call On PUC To Postpone 2021 Energy Efficiency Plan."  New Hampshire Public Radio (nhpr).  URL.  Retrieved: 12/7/2020.  

Sanders, B.  (2020, December 3).  "New Hampshire remains a laggard in building EV charging station network."  New Hampshire Business Review.  URL.  Retrieved: 12/7/2020.  

Sorg, L.  (2020, December 4).  "Task force recommends new environmental justice positions at four key state agencies."  NC Policy Watch: The Progressive Pulse blog.  URL.  Retrieved: 12/7/2020.  

Our monthly policy updates, information, and opportunities to participate, are developed with support from Ceres, which is an organizational partner of Second Nature.  Ceres has identified 15 states plus Washington, D.C. for our primary focus - Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Illinois, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and Washington, D.C. - because of the beneficial legislative climates and real opportunities for policy advancements in these states.  

Note: The states included in each monthly Policy Update will be based on what policy updates we are recommending for that month, and are due to change - but will always be focused on the above 15 states (plus Washington, D.C.) - from month to month.