Monthly Policy Update

July 2023

Policy Updates

GLOBAL
International Lenders Continue Pouring Money Into Meat and Dairy, Despite Climate Promises 
Publication Date: June 21, 2023 | Source: Inside Climate News

• Why This Matters: New analysis shows that billions went to industrial livestock and grain companies, including a $200 million loan to a firm producing corn and soy in the heavily deforested Cerrado region of Brazil. This comes despite a promise by world's biggest development banks they they will only financially support businesses that promise to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and serves as a helpful reminder that initial promises and plans are not always followed nor implemented. 

FEDERAL
Five Major State Climate Policy Trends in 2023
Publication Date: June 30, 2023 | Source: Climate XChange

• Why This Matters: States are taking advantage of new sources of climate funding, with Massachusetts announcing the creation of the Community Climate Bank, Minnesota passing legislation to creating an Innovation Finance Authority, and others capitalizing on available federal climate dollars from the Inflation Reduction Act and the bipartisan Infrastructure Deal. Additionally, states are prioritizing transportation-sector emissions reductions, including environmental justice provisions, strengthening climate targets and drafting plans to meet them, and cutting building emissions.  

DOE offers record-breaking $9.2B loan to build EV batteries in the US
Publication Date: June 22, 2023 | Source: Canary Media 

• Why This Matters: The Department of Energy has offered a record-breaking $9.2 billion conditional loan commitment to a Ford Motor Co. joint venture to help scale up domestic lithium-ion battery production for the U.S. electric vehicle market. This loan comes as part of an intentional US decision to prioritize competitiveness in EV battery manufacturing, which has the potential to substantially reduce transportation-sector emissions.  

White House cautiously opens the door to study blocking sun's rays to slow global warming
Publication Date: July 1, 2023 | Source: Politico 

• Why This Matters: Solar radiation modification, a divisive idea also known as geo-engineering, refers to blocking sunlight from hitting the Earth's surface to prevent global warming. A Biden administration report required by Congress outlines research options for this process, which remains relatively unknown and potentially risky. 

CALIFORNIA
California will cap hundreds of orphaned oil wells, some long suspected of causing illness
Publication Date: July 18, 2023 | Source: Los Angeles Times 

• Why This Matters: State regulators plan to begin capping 5,300 orphaned oil wells, which can leak methane and other harmful chemicals into the groundwater. Some of these had spurred health complains from residents for years, and in response, Governor Gavin Newsom earmarked $100 million in the state budget to address the issue. 

ILLINOIS
Citing racial disparities and rising gas rates, Illinois groups call for building electrification
Publication Date: July 6, 2023 | Source: Energy News Network 

• Why This Matters: In Illinois, the natural gas utility Peoples Gas has proposed increasing rates significantly to pay for replacing aging pipelines, stating most of the pipes in its system need replacement by 2030. Public interest groups are saying the utility should instead invest in improving customers’ energy efficiency and other “non-pipe alternatives” to meet demand. Studies found that from April to November 2022, Peoples Gas disconnected households in primarily BIPOC communities at about three times the rate of households in predominantly White communities with similar incomes. 

MINNESOTA
Minnesota community solar projects are about to get bigger and more far-flung 
Publication Date: July 11, 2023 | Source: Energy News Network

• Why This Matters: This spring, state lawmakers approved several changes to the state's decade-old community solar law, allowing developers to build bigger projects and ensuring that more lower-income customers are able to participate. These changes come in a busy climate year for Minnesota lawmakers, who have enacted several pieces of critical climate legislation. 

NEBRASKA
Arrival of large-scale solar projects in Nebraska met with resistance
Publication Date: June 30, 2023 | Source: Energy News Network 

• Why This Matters: Large-scale solar energy is reaching Nebraska, and has sparked backlash from some across the state, including the filing of a lawsuit in Lancaster County. Currently, solar makes up less than 1% of the state's electricity, but if the initial slate of projects were to materialize, that number would climb to 18%. 

NEW HAMPSHIRE 
How the Inflation Reduction Act is helping to jumpstart New Hampshire's long-stalled climate plan 
Publication Date: June 30, 2023 | Source: Energy News Network 

• Why This Matters: New Hampshire is on its way to creating a new climate plan for the first time in 14 years, thanks to a $3 million federal grant from a program intended to support the development of climate action plans across the country. As it currently stands, NH is the only New England state without binding targets for lowering emissions. 

OHIO 
Ohio utilities could resume energy efficiency programs under bipartisan bill
Publication Date: June 28, 2023 | Source: Energy News Network 

• Why This Matters: Prior utility-run programs to reduce electricity use ended after Ohio’s energy efficiency standard was gutted as part of House Bill 6, the 2019 law at the heart of the state’s still unfolding bribery and corruption scandal. House Bill 79 would let utilities bring back some of those programs, but on a voluntary basis with capped monthly charges and smaller expectations for energy savings.

VIRGINIA
As Youngkin Tries to Pull Virginia Out of RGGI, Experts Warn of Looming  Consequences for Low-Income Residents and Threatened Communities
Publication Date: June 25, 2023 | Source: Inside Climate News 

• Why This Matters: Virginia is one step closer to exiting the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI), an electric sector cap-and-invest program that 11 Eastern states partake in. So far, the initiative has generated over $650 million in clean energy funding for the state, but per the directive of Republican Governor Glenn Youngkin, the Air Pollution Control Board is beginning its withdrawal. 

Advocacy Opportunities

Convey Your Support for Stronger Clean Air Standards
The Environmental Protection Agency’s recent proposed rule-making on ways to strengthen the critical 111(b) and (d) standards in the Clean Air Act is a prime opportunity to utilize the IRA’s benefits and safeguard a cleaner, greener, and more equitable future for the nation. Higher education institutions have the power to demonstrate widespread support for stronger clean energy standards. Ceres, a Second Nature partner, is organizing a sign-on letter due Monday, Aug. 7. For questions, please contact Zach Friedman.

Michigan Schools: Sign onto 100% Clean Energy Letter
In 2022, Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer released the MI Healthy Climate Plan, a roadmap with near-term actions for how Michigan can transition to a net zero emissions economy by 2050. Now, environmental advocates are calling for the state to increase its renewable portfolio standard, set a target for achieving 100% carbon-free electricity, and take a number of other critical climate actions. Michigan colleges and universities have the opportunity to express their support for more ambitious climate policy. Ceres, a Second Nature partner, is organizing a sign-on letter due Tuesday, Aug. 1. For questions, please contact Deana Dennis.

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.).