Monthly Policy Update

August 2023

Policy Updates

GLOBAL
COP 28: World-leading economists, finance leaders unveil steps to international climate finance
Publication Date: August 16, 2023 | Source: Vanguard

• Why This Matters: A two-day meeting in Abu Dhabi convened by the COP28 Presidency has yielded consensus on the steps needed to establish a new framework for international climate finance. Economists and global leaders have agreed to come to COP 28 with clear climate finance recommendations, and a roadmap to implement these, in order help developing countries achieve critical mitigation and adaptation goals. 

FEDERAL
Exclusive: Federal analysis says IRA, infrastructure law could save customers billions on energy bills 
Publication Date: August 16, 2023 | Source: The Hill

• Why This Matters: In combination, the Inflation Reduction Act and Bipartisan Infrastructure Law could save consumers up to $38 billion in electricity costs by 2030. The Department of Energy also projects that businesses' electricity spending will drop between 13 and 15 percent during this period, a reminder that the landmark federal legislation comes with cost-saving benefits for consumers and corporations alike. 

The US climate law is fueling a factory frenzy. Here's the latest tally. 
Publication Date: August 16, 2023 | Source: Canary Media 

• Why This Matters: In just one year, the Inflation Reduction Act has spurred more than 100 new clean tech manufacturing announcements and nearly $80 billion in private investment. The IRA requires companies to, at least partially, manufacture their products domestically, and the south has become a hub for clean energy industry manufacturing, with planned factories concentrated in Alabama, Georgia, and South Carolina, among other states. 

US announces first winners in $3.5B carbon removal program 
Publication Date: August 11, 2023 | Source: Canary Media  

• Why This Matters: Two direct air capture facilities along the U.S. Gulf Coast will split $1.1 billion of dollars in federal funding to try to pull millions of metric tons of CO2 from the sky. The funding comes from the Infrastructure Investment and Job Act, and the technology is still in its relative infancy. The potential effectiveness of carbon removal remains an open question, but with global warming accelerating, the US government is viewing it as a solution worthy of further exploration. 

STATES

ILLINOIS
Illinois governor vetoes effort to lift moratorium on new nuclear reactors
Publication Date: August 11, 2023 | Source: Energy News Network

• Why This Matters: Governor J.B. Pritzker vetoed SB 76, the legislation that would have repealed the state's moratorium on new nuclear power plants. That means a 1987 law saying that new nuclear power facilities cannot be build in the state will stay in place. The move is a win for climate advocates who wanted the state to prioritize clean energy sources like wind and solar, but a disappointment for proponents of carbon-free nuclear power.  

LOUISIANA
First Solar selects Louisiana as home of next solar panel factory
Publication Date: August 15, 2023 | Source: Utility

• Why This Matters: A $1.1 billion solar facility is projected to be the largest capital investment in Louisiana's history, and is slated to create more than 700 jobs in the state. The company's CEO shared a key factor in selecting this location was the presence of academic institutions such as the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, which features a world-class solar energy lab. The announcement is a helpful reminder that clean energy research at colleges and universities can help spur economic development. 

MAINE
USM celebrates opening of first residence hall on Portland campus
Publication Date: August 15, 2023 | Source: Portland Press Herald

• Why This Matters: The University of Southern Maine recently opened a new parking garage that includes 58 electric vehicle charging stations and long-term storage for more than 250 bicycles, the largest charging station and largest indoor bicycle storage facility in the state. It also announced the opening of a new residential hall that is Passive House certified, meaning that it is focused on the dramatic reduction of energy use for space heating and cooling. 

MASSACHUSETTS
More Massachusetts cities seek to ban gas, citing lack of diversity in pilot and urgency of climate crisis  
Publication Date: Aug 3, 2023 | Source: Energy News Network 

• Why This Matters: Legislation passed last year created a pilot program authorizing up to 10 municipalities to ban fossil fuel use in new construction, and a surge of cities and towns in the states are looking to join this program. A new bill, H 3227, is now being considered in the legislature, and would allow all qualified communities to adopt these bans, helping communities accelerate the transition away from fossil fuels. For the 146 colleges and universities in Massachusetts, this legislation is particularly pertinent in that it may prohibit fossil fuel usage in new construction. 

MONTANA
Judge sides with young activists in first-of-its-kind climate change trial in Montana
Publication Date: August 14, 2023 | Source: NPR 

• Why This Matters: A Montana judge sided with young environmental activists, who alleged that state agencies were violating their right to a clean and healthy environment by continuing to approve fossil fuel development without considering its effect on the climate. Agencies are currently prohibited from evaluating the effects of greenhouse gas emissions on the climate. The ruling is a good reminder that students can enact meaningful legislative change, while also serving as a signal for higher education institutions that policy change is moving toward encouraging, and in some cases, requiring, the climate impact of new developments to be considered. 

TEXAS 
Flush With the Promise of Tax Credits, Clean Energy Projects Are Booming in Texas
Publication Date: August 16, 2023 | Source: Energy News Network 

• Why This Matters: Under the IRA, a suite of clean energy tax incentives will be available through 2032, including specific credits for manufacturing the technology in the U.S. Texas is one of the states currently benefitting most from this clean energy boom, and has produced more renewable energy than any other US state. The state has enjoyed a spike in production since the IRA came into effect.   

Texas and others create 'punitive' barriers to EV transition 
Publication Date: August 16, 2023 | Source: E&E News 

• Why This Matters: Texas legislators have imposed a new fee on electric vehicles, charging drivers an extra $200 each year to register their cars and trucks. This fee amounts to nearly double what an average driver would pay in taxes at the pump, a potential disincentive for consumers considering transition toward zero-emission vehicles. 

WASHINGTON STATE
Gas, building groups drop lawsuit against new Washington building codes requiring heat pumps
Publication Date: August 8, 2023 | Source: Utility Dive 

• Why This Matters: Industry groups had previously filed a lawsuit in WA that aimed to block legislation requiring heat pumps are installed in new residential and commercial buildings. The decision to drop the suit is a potential indicator that industry understands technologies like heat pumps and electric stoves are an undeniable part of the future of construction, and for higher education institutions in Washington State, the move is a helpful reminder that decarbonizing should be central to all future construction. 

Advocacy Opportunities

California Colleges and Universities: Voice Your Support for Climate Disclosure Legislation
In what could be a powerful move for emissions transparency, pair of bills currently being considered in in California would force large corporations in the state to annually report their global emissions. SB 253 would force about 5,300 corporations earning more than $1 billion to report their global emissions, while SB 261 would go even further in requiring more than 10,000 companies with revenues exceeding $500 million to disclose how climate change poses financial risks to their operations. 

SB 253 and SB 261 are headed next to the Assembly Appropriations Committee at the end of August. If they pass out of that committee, they'll head to the Assembly floor for their final legislative hurdle. Higher education institutions have the power to demonstrate widespread support for stronger climate disclosure standards. Ceres, a Second Nature partner, is organizing a sign-on letter due Friday, Aug. 25. For questions, please contact Geoff Crook or Sarah Sachs.

The states and updates included in each Monthly Policy Update are based on what we are recommending for reading for that month, due to what we view as being directly relevant to higher education.  From month to month, the states focused on are due to change.  

Do you have feedback on our Monthly Policy Updates (what you like, what you would like to see improved, etc)?  Please email us: policyteam@secondnature.org.  

Note: 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 the following states plus Washington, D.C. for primary focus - Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Illinois, Maryland, 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.  Our Policy Updates may, or may not, include these states (and Washington, D.C.).